


Ardent Exorcist

by Cvicel



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Angels, Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist References, Character Growth, Demons, Epic, Epic Battles, Epic Love, Exorcisms, F/M, Falling In Love, Fantasy, Fights, Love, Mystery, Romance, Story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:35:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 140,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23414665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cvicel/pseuds/Cvicel
Summary: Althea Heilbrunn is a 25 years old medicine student who tries to live like a normal girl despite being targeted by demons for as long as she could remember, when she suddenly meets a demon so strong he could easily spell her doom. To her great astonishment, not only did he let her go without attacking her, he even offered to help her learn about the world of demons and about her strange abilities. But can she really trust him - a demon? And more importantly, can he trust her? Is she what she seems to be, or is she a spy, or perhaps an assassin out to get him, as her powers suggest? Althea enrolls into the True Cross Academy where she finds new friends and turns Mephisto's carefully-planned world upside down.***Rated M because it contains some mature content, but the focus is on my own story - characters, relationships and fights. I already know how the story unfolds and ends, so you know I will not stop publishing and leave you hanging somewhere in the middle. I am, however, a slow writer, so please bear with me. You have much to look forward to, I promise. Any feedback is really welcome.***
Relationships: Mephisto Pheles/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 50





	1. An ally in the alley

"Tsk, how troublesome…" the chairman of the True Cross Academy breathed out, annoyed. He leaned on the nearby wall, one hand massaging his temples. Instead of landing comfortably in his office, he ended up here, in some god-forsaken alley in the middle of the night. Had he really become so exhausted that he could not even teleport across half of the globe without the need to take a break? What a pitiful state indeed. Then again, holding eager growing demons in dozens of time barriers around the world while keeping the barrier around his Academy erected was no easy feat. Not to mention his weaker growing borrowed mortal body. He would need to do something about that very soon, as he did not plan to abandon this one just yet. At least he landed in Tokyo, of that he was sure. And not too far from the Academy, either. Something smelled quite nicely not far away… sweet and delicious, a confectionery perhaps? He also heard some water splashing nearby. A river? No, that was not it. A fountain. Yes, that would be it. The Wadakura Fountain Park then?

His musings were interrupted as blackness momentarily overcame his sight and he found himself slumped on the ground. "Oh, verdammt…, how pathetic." he cursed while wiping the blood running from his nose, his head ringing. Looks like he would actually need to sleep throughout the whole night, not just his usual one hour of mild slumber. He directed his gaze to the buildings to his right. It was already night and the streets were almost empty, save for a few people rushing home. Some of the passerby actually spared him a glance, but quickened their steps, probably trying to avoid a homeless or drunkard they thought him to be. Humans. Such fascinating creatures! So full of contradictions. No wonder he had been staying in Assiah. Their actions and reactions were simply too amusing to go unseen. Only these creatures could be raising money to support the homeless but would shy away when so much as actually seeing one.

Suddenly, his senses spiked up. Someone was closing in on him. It was faint, but a demon of his class would not miss that, even in his miserable state. Thanks to his demon eyes providing him with perfect night vision, he spotted a young woman rushing towards him. "Sir! Sir, are you all right?" she asked slightly out of breath, kneeling in front of him. " _Well, what do you know? A human unknowingly rushing to help a demon."_ Mephisto grinned internally. "My, my. Thank you for your concern, Miss, but I was just a little dizzy and then slipped. I will be just fine." At least humans were fragile enough to faint when dizzy, and clumsy enough to slip on even walkway… She looked at him thoughtfully, obviously unconvinced. "If that is the case, you shouldn't stay here in the dark. What if it gets worse? I can take you to the nearby hospital, you might want to see a doctor. Can you stand? Here, let me help you on your f…" she suddenly trailed off halfway through the sentence, her chocolate-brown eyes wide, her outstretched hand resting on his.

There it was. The demon felt it now, more clearly. The sudden tension in the air, his hair standing slightly, all senses alerted. Her aura wasn't showing at the moment, but he could have sworn that she was using a barrier, much as himself. _"Who is this girl? No ordinary human, that is for sure..."_ Mephisto concluded. "A fallen angel." she whispered, interrupting his thoughts. Mephisto's eyes suddenly widened in shock. For the first time in his very long life, he felt as if the time had stopped and it was not his doing. Old memories flashed through his head. Heavenly light. Strong, pure-white wings. Divine powers beyond comprehension for him to command. _"Angel…"_ When was it the last time he had been addressed as one? That word sounded so foreign to him now. Nobody would call The Demon Lord of Time a fallen angel. _"No, some people still call us fallen angels...No more thoughts about that topic. I have to focus!"_ the demon snapped out of it and returned to his usual self in a matter of seconds.

Mephisto realized that despite his barrier, this tiny golden-haired creature must have somehow sensed his demonic aura. Or was he so exhausted that he did not even manage to hold the barrier in the first place? Verdammt noch mal! But how much did she actually know? And more importantly, what should he do now? He certainly had no habit of killing people and it was not just because of the annoying Grigori watching his every step. No, the girl had not done anything threatening so far. And even if she somehow turned out to be a threat, he could handle her even in his weakened state. No, he would wait and enjoy the show – he concluded, eyes twinkling with both amusement and anticipation.

OoO

"A fallen angel." she whispered, her drumming heart almost stifling her own words. _"I can't believe it! I actually ran into a demon! And not just any...it's a fallen angel. No, no, this is really bad. What is wrong with my senses?!"_ she thought, her mind racing. She had been on her way home when she had spotted a man slumped on the ground in the street next to her favourite candy shop. Blindly rushing to help was, unfortunately, one of her most idiotic habits. She had been trying her best to control herself, to think before acting, but obviously to no avail. Now, she would pay for her stupidity… Still, there was nothing wrong with her reflex! Helping others, being prepared to act quickly, and to perform CPR at any given time, those were qualities she had actually been training for. They would be helpful in her upcoming career. How was she supposed to know that she would run into a demon instead of some poor, hurt man?

There was one thing she was sure of, though. This was no ordinary demon. She would feel those soon enough to avoid them. This violet-haired man was probably using some kind of barrier to hide his powers instead of flaring it all around like those lesser cocky creatures. The stronger ones always did. And this one was strong. Immensely strong. As soon as she offered her hand to help him stand up, she instantly felt his aura – a dark violet mixing with black and hints of golden – crushing against her own. Actually, more like crushing her down. And the sight of his true form overflowing the human body he had chosen as a vessel! The man had an actual tail! A purple tail curled along his torso in a neat way. There was a pair of horns rushing from his head right above his elf-like ears. A strange violet-golden crown gently floated above his head. And were those hour-hands building up the crown? Man, she was so screwed… She would not be able to run from this demon, should he decide to replenish his strength by eating her soul. Nor would she be able to fight him. There was nothing she could do, unless… "I will help you" she gulped, both voice and body shaking slightly.

OoO

"I will help you." the woman said suddenly. His eyes widened for a second time that night. Of all the things Mephisto expected her to do or say, he did not see this one coming! A grin suddenly spread on his face, he started to chuckle and found himself laughing outright uncontrollably. This little girl wanted to help him? She was kneeling in front of him, trembling, obviously scared enough to even voice her offer. As soon as he started laughing though, her face became red all over, lips pressed. She looked almost...insulted! This whole situation was simply too hilarious. Humans were indeed an inexhaustible source of amusement. A sudden stab of pain in his head stopped his outburst, so he calmed down a little. He looked at the girl again, only to find her strangely composed, hands on her hips as if ready to scold him. He almost started to laugh all over…

"I mean it!" she said silently through her teeth, obviously affronted, and then pointed at him. "I can heal that vessel of yours. Or at least recover some of your energy that is. I can see that you are a very strong demon. You must be, your aura is quite overwhelming, despite that barrier of yours. It might be difficult, but I'll try." _How curious. It looks like my barrier is still up, yet she is somehow able to see my aura and judge the state I am in with a certain precision too. Not to mention the ability to actually restore my energy, if that claim turns out to be true."_ Mephisto's mind was racing. Why would she even offer to do such a thing in the first place? "Oh, is that so?" he asked, making himself sound unconvinced. "I will do my best to restore your health, I promise. Just…could you please let me live after I am done? There are still many things I would like to do in my life and I just can't afford to die like this." she looked at him pleadingly. _"Oh my. Now it all makes sense. She thinks that I am going to eat her soul! Well, that is not entirely a surprising assumption. Actually, it is quite reasonable. So now she is trying to strike a deal, isn't she? Dear Lord, what a night."_ Mephisto mused, thinking himself quite lucky to end up here tonight. He couldn't help, but to tease this human a little. His eyes took on a malicious look. "Be careful who you bargain with, young lady. I am a demon after all." he grinned, doing his best to show his fangs. "But…but I can help. I know I cannot run from you, nor fight you, so I can at least offer something in return for my life." she reasoned.

"And why would I need your help?" Mephisto pushed. "You said it yourself, I am strong. I can take care of myself even in this state. Why should I rely on your help?" he inquired further. "Well, to be safe from the other demons of course! The stronger devour the week. The endless fight for power... Isn't that how your world works? If you stay as you are now, they will come for you. That lot over there might be flies to you, but stronger demons will appear eventually. They always do." she pointed in the direction of the main street. There, in the shadows casted by surrounding buildings, lesser formless demons were already gathering, keeping their distance, surely weighing the situation between the possible gain and threat. "And what if I simply devour your soul? Or perhaps _make_ you heal me and then kill you? You see, I do not need a bargain to make this work and I certainly have enough power to do just as I said." Mephisto smiled dangerously... _"Now that was quite unnecessary."_ he internally berated himself for having gone so far. Oh, he loved stirring the waters, fooling around with humans and pushing their boundaries, but he usually avoided such direct threats and life-death dilemmas. His whole image as the director of the True Cross Academy depended on it. However, he couldn't help himself this time. The urge to test this little lady was simply irresistible.

The girl's face went ashen in a matter of seconds, but she quickly collected herself, her gaze strangely strong. Determinant. "Is that so… Very well." she stood up. "But mark my words! I will not go down without a fight." she threatened. Oh dear, she was actually preparing herself to fight him! "And…and when I am dead, I will postpone myself becoming a beautiful angel. I will stay as a ghost and haunt you instead! So, bring it on!" she was shouting now, fists clenched, tears on the brink of falling. What a face she was making! With no means to actually fight, staring in the eyes of a certain death, she even dared to make threats. Utterly ridiculous threats at it…

A deep sonorous sound echoed through the night, as Mephisto burst to laugh a second time. When was the last time he had laughed so cheerfully? He couldn't believe it. Here he was, trying to get some interesting reactions out of the poor girl, yet he found himself showing a variety of emotions he had not experienced in quite some time. _"Oh my, I HAVE gone too far, indeed. I´d better fix this before it is too late."_ he mused while looking at her dumb-struck expression. "I humbly apologize, young lady. I was merely teasing. Can't help it, a demon's nature is a peculiar thing, I am afraid. Still, I do not mean any harm to you. I am one of the kind who simply wishes to live peacefully among humans and enjoy the time on Assiah." he declared nonchalantly, his right hand on his chest, his head inclining slightly, and then he flashed her one of his best smiles.

OoO

" _Is this guy for real?!"_ the young woman thought. _"What is going on? Why would he…that stupid, stupid demon! Oh, screw this! Looks like you will live, so who cares what games he's playing! The sooner you deal with him, the sooner you can return to your normal life. At least, if that is what you can call ´normal´."_ "I…I see. Well then…uhm…do you…do you still wish to be healed or was that a pretense too?" Mephisto chuckled – she was still willing to heal him, after all he had put her through. "I truly wish it was, dear. Unfortunately, you were right, my body is quite weakened." He admitted. "I see. Do not move then. I am not sure if this would work on a demon of your level, but as I promised, I _will_ do my best." she assured, face determined. Having said that, she knelt in front of him again, breathed out, her eyebrows furrowing in concentration. She outstretched her hands slowly. "I will need to...uhm...touch you to do this." "Oh, am I so irresistible?" the demon lord teased further. "Hey… I didn't mean it like _that_! I…" the girl stuttered, cheeks red again. "Relax, do what you need to do. I am at your mercy." he winked at her. "Why you!" he heard her whispering. Somehow, she regained her composure though, and cupped the demon's head. Her aura flared, surrounding her form in golden-white light. Then it started flowing towards him, only to crash into his own barrier, causing his hair stand yet again and instinctively push his own energy to clash against hers. She jerked a little as the energies collided and then said, eyes still shut. "It would be easier if you let me through for a while, you know? I will be careful not to accidentally hurt you."

" _Hurt me?"_ the demon thought curiously. How would she even do that? No matter, let the show continue. Allowing her through the barrier felt strange but her hands gently pressing on his cheeks felt even stranger. Usually, he would find such a position suggestive, so why not then? The only thing he felt was that peculiar energy of hers flowing gently into his chest and then enveloping his whole body. The feeling was soft and warm, his senses calmed down and his body actually began to regain some of its energy, exhaustion slowly leaving him. How was that even possible? Only some demons were able to heal their comrades, but that was not a common occurrence and she certainly wasn't a demon. Her aura was too pure for that. Humans were also capable of such a feat, but usually via a special bond or a pact with the said demon, providing their own energy to restore the health of the counterparty. She did not have any familiars bonded either, the energy of which he could borrow. How was she doing that? The energy felt similar to holy powers wielded by people such as Doctors from his academy, or monks and spiritually gifted people in general. And yet… It felt so different. There were no incantations on her side, no prayers, nothing that would usually trigger the effect. He could simply feel his energy being restored, the annoying ringing in the head disappearing.

He looked at her again. It had been almost 15 minutes and she was now breathing heavily, cheeks flushed, small beds of sweat running down her temples _. "She really_ is _doing her best, huh. I ́d better stop her before she uses up all her energy."_ He slowly put his gloved hand on hers as if not to startle her and said quietly. "That would be enough, little Miss. No need to overexert yourself." She opened her eyes due to the sudden touch but remained calm and nodded. She let go, putting both hands on the ground to steady herself, panting. "Did it work?" she breathed out, looking from behind her short golden locks. "Splendidly, my dear." Mephisto flashed her a smile, feeling surprisingly refreshed. "I am glad then… Hope you will hold your word now." the girl said. Now she was looking as exhausted as he had felt a while ago. She then closed her eyes and started leaning to the side, looking just about to pass out. "Oh my." Mephisto quickly reached for her, his hands supporting her shoulders. "Careful there." he whispered. Abruptly, he felt a strange prickling. She jerked suddenly and shot up. Mephisto looked at her, confused. Then he spotted his slightly charred uniform and gloves. "I am sorry, are you burnt? I didn't mean to, I swear! I just…I cannot control it well sometimes." she said apologetically. _"Burnt? It almost felt like being sprinkled with Holy Water. Not enough to cause me any harm, of course, but she might be able to purify some very low demons with that touch._ "I am perfectly fine, my lady." "Well, that was it. I…uhm…I thank you for not killing me, Sir…Sir Demon. Now if you excuse me, I really need to be on my way." _"Pfff...'Sir demon' she says."_ Mephisto chuckled. "It is Sir Pheles, dear. Pleasure to meet you." he bowed, his white cloak flashing. "I am in your debt. May I know the name of my savior?" She turned red all over the face, but replied "I am sorry, but I'd rather stay your mysterious savior. No offense, I am just really doing my best to avoid too much contact with demos…. Let us just thank each-other and preferably never meet again?" she smiled nervously.

Interesting. The more she was hiding the truth from him, the more he wanted to learn about this strange creature. What was she? Why was she hiding her identity? And what about her peculiar power? Well, he would not push her for details. For now. She had already saved him from an inconvenient situation. Besides, he could just search and learn all he needed by himself. He was Mephistopheles, the Lord of Time. He got all the time in the world. "Of course, I perfectly understand. May I?" he asked, hand reaching out to get hold of hers. She gulped and nodded nervously, obviously trying to get her powers in check. He calmed his demon energy effortlessly, willing it to subside and caught her hand. No burning followed this time, though the strange prickling remained. Well, he would not let her leave without showing his gratitude. He leaned in and put a gentle kiss on her hand, sealing the small protection ward he prepared. There! The demons should be smart enough to leave her cross unharmed tonight. "In that case, I do thank you for your help, Miss. However, my offer still stands. Should you require my assistance, simply say my name." he offered gentlemanly. "Riiight… t-that won't be necessary. You did not kill me, s-so it's OK, we are even. I will not bother you." she stuttered and bowed. Mephisto just grinned wider. "Farewell, my dear. I do hope that our paths will cross again sometime soon. Ein. Zwei. Drei!" he whispered, holding her gaze, and teleported.

OoO

" _He disappeared into thin air! Ah, why does it still surprise me? He is a demon after all! And what was that gesture all about?! Looks like somebody has enough energy to fool around all of a sudden…"_ she thought. Well, she survived! It worked out! She simply couldn't believe it. It must have been a miracle. Now she just had to get back home and forget all about this encounter. From now on, she had to make sure her senses were even sharper. She had some very interesting weeks ahead! Weeks full of training and honing her powers in order to better protect herself and those around her against those demonic creatures, and their schemes and games…

OoO

" _Oh, the look on her face when he teleported! Ah, why does it still surprise me? She is a human after all! But what was all that secrecy about? Looks like somebody had a particularly difficult night."_ he thought. Well, he was healed! It actually worked out. He simply couldn't believe it. It must have been the devil's own luck. Now he just had to teleport to his office and carefully go through tonight ́s events. From now on, he had to make sure his senses were even sharper. He had some very interesting weeks ahead. Weeks full of searching for that human girl and her strange powers…

* * *

**Disclaimer:** Blue Exorcists belongs to Kazue Katō. Please, do not re-post or publish my story without my consent.

* * *

**Author's note:** This is my first FF-writing attempt, so I will appreciate your thoughts and insights :) This story will have more chapters and I aim to add my work on a weekly basis, if possible.


	2. A bark in the park

"Thea. Thea, are you coming?" an impatient voice rang in the corridor of the Tokyo Medical University. "Earth to Thea!" the voice urged. "On my way!" a petite blonde with chocolate eyes responded, trying to balance on one foot while putting a shoe on the other. "Come on, we are going to miss the exam!" "All right, all right. Sorry Ayami." she said apologetically, looking at her blue-eyed, raven-haired fellow student. "Geez, what are you spacing out for? I know that the exam period is taking its toll on all of us, but you have been acting kind of weird since last week. If this is because of the incident with the strange delinquent you helped on your way home, then I am sorry, but you gotta pull yourself together. It will be part of our job to help everyone, even weirdos or drunkards, so you'd better get used to it. Now hurry up, or you won't get the chance to help anyone at all!" Ayami lectured.

She was right of course. Her best friend was always right in things like this. Thea found it amazing how straightforward and practical Ayami was. Everything seemed to be so simple to her. Unfortunately, Thea's life was far from simple. She only _made_ it look so. She had to tell _somebody_ of her strange encounter with the demon, simply to get it out of her system. And also, because Ayami had not missed the fact that she had arrived quite shaken back to the dormitory. She could not have told her that she had met a demon, of course, but as she was never particularly good at lying, she settled for changing the "demon" to "delinquent". Come to think of it, those two were not that different. Both started with 'd' and both meant certain trouble… She hated lying to her friend, but if she had told the truth, there would be no friend at all to talk to now.

The blonde _was_ spacing out, though. Never before had she met such a powerful being. The demon's true form had been appearing in her mind, constantly haunting her, successfully disturbing the concentration she so desperately needed for studying. That dark aura, the strange purplish crown, his devilish smirk showing just enough for her to notice the sharp fangs. It all felt so dangerous. And yet, so strangely alluring… His challenging questions, his nonchalant demeanor, his strong gaze…certainly sparked _something_ in her. Omitting the fact that she could have been killed by him, she could have drowned in those forest-green eyes! Not to mention how easily he caught her when she had been about to collapse. And that gentlemanly good-bye kiss. Come to think of it, he had been quite attractive. Wait! She did _not_ just think _that_! That was _a demon_ she was thinking about! She instantly clasped her hands to her burning cheeks. _"No way! This is so embarrassing… There is no way I would have such ridiculous, stupid thoughts! This must be the exhaustion from studying too much catching up with me! Yes! That's it!"_ she tried to regain some composure, totally unaware of her friend ́s concern.

"Thea, are you OK? Sorry if I was too harsh with you. If you are not feeling well, you should just stay here and rest." "NO!" Thea said a bit too loud, her cheeks growing even darker shade of red. "I mean...you are right. The exams are stressing me out. Let's just go and do our best!" she ordered enthusiastically and set for the lecture hall. She had to do her best! The cardio-vascular system was not her forte, so she needed all the concentration she could muster now. And no stupid, annoying, dangerously alluring demon would spoil it for her!

OoO

It was late afternoon and the stack of papers on the desk of the director of the True Cross Academy seemed even more piled up than it had been in the morning. Going through the daily reports must have been one of the most boring tasks ever. Oh, he would never underestimate the power of information. It was, after all, one of his greatest assets. Still, would it kill the assistant to think of a more brief and efficient way to present him with matters of importance? There was no way he could possibly concentrate. He stood up and approached the big set of windows framing the southern part of his office, hands clasped behind his back.

The demon truly enjoyed the magnificent view the windows offered. Thanks to his demon sight, he could see all the people running to and fro, going about their daily tasks. And somewhere down there, amidst the constant turmoil of citizens, the little blonde girl with chocolate-brown eyes must have been running some errands too, desperately trying to avoid demons while at it. Mephisto froze. _"Is this the reason why I am being so distracted?"_ he marveled incredulously as he realized that his thoughts have, once again, wandered to that strange human girl. Well, no wonder, the young woman was simply...fascinating. With _that_ kind of healing abilities, she could make a splendid Doctor Exorcist. Oh yes, she would be a wonderful asset indeed! So why had she not been training to become one yet? Had she not known of his academy? If that was the case, he had to do better in informing potential exorcist candidates. She had obviously been struggling to use her powers correctly.

 _"_ _Verflucht, this is getting really annoying!"_ Once something captured his interest, he would dedicate the time and means to learn more about it. His very nature demanded it. Unfortunately, he had to postpone the search for the human girl. Even being the demonic Lord of Time did not guarantee that he himself would have plenty of it - the Okamura brothers surely took good care of it. He had to focus almost all his efforts to hasten Rin's training or a certain disaster would follow soon. And yet, instead of devising some clever plan to train his younger brother, he stood there at the windows, absent-mindlessly searching for those hauntingly beautiful chocolate-brown eyes…

 _"_ _Enough! Time for a break."_ Mephisto decided. He was obviously too distracted to finish the paperwork today, anyway. Come to think of it, he could use some fresh air. And something sweet too. Not that he actually needed to boost his energy, being a demon and all. It was his vessel that needed nourishment. Also, he considered sweets one of the greatest inventions of humankind. Yes, a stroll in a park, maybe even visiting a confectionery seemed to be a very good idea. Perhaps the one near the Wadakura Fountain Park, he had not tried that one yet. "Very well, then." Mephisto smirked. "Ein, zwei, drei…"

OoO

A few seconds later, he was walking through the crowded park, taking in the beautiful scenery of sakura trees currently in spring bloom. The demon lord decided to assume his animal form of white Maltese dog breed, for it provided him with privacy he would normally not be able to enjoy. He was the director of the True Cross Academy after all. There was always somebody who would recognize him. Men would want to talk about another business with him, women would try to get into his good graces… Many believed him to be an extravagant extrovert. Well, he would lie if he claimed not to like being in the spotlight, but he too needed some quiet once in a while. Right. A quiet stroll through the streets, with the sun setting, and people taking a walk, buying odds and ends at several small shops at the market, ...

"Thea, watch out!" he heard a voice call before a young woman suddenly landed face-down on the ground before him. He would have burst into laughter if not for his dog-form. Yes, humans were indeed clumsy enough to slip on an even ground, no doubt about that. Not to mention those sloppy reflexes! Instead of putting the hands in front of her to caution the impact, the girl held her arms strangely outstretched above herself. "It's OK! I've got the cake!" the girl called out triumphantly. "Forget the cake, idiot! Are you all right?" a raven-haired girl in a bright green dress came running in, checking on the other one. "Yes, yes, no worries, Ayami! We can still celebrate." the one called Thea said, carefully standing up, trying not to damage the cake she was trying to save a second ago. Well, anybody who sacrificed a few bruises in order to save sweets deserved at least a portion of the demon lord's respect, no matter how clumsy that individual was. The girl brushed the dust of her jeans and no-more-so-white T-shirt and continued to check on her elbows and face. Her nose and forehead were bruised a little, but her chocolate-brown eyes were twinkling happily while she was trying to arrange her unruly golden hair.

 _"_ _Oh my!"_ Mephisto watched the girl and had he not been a dog already, he would have been speechless, nonetheless. _"What are the odds?"_ he grinned internally. Not that he would admit trying to boost the chances by strolling around the confectionery, of course… The location he had chosen was purely coincidental. "Oh, God!" the black-haired one exclaimed, suddenly picking him up from the ground. He was so stunned by the discovery of the girl that he did not even have the chance to protest. "I hope that my clumsy friend didn't crush you, little doggy!" she started whining in a pitch-high voice too deafening for his dog ears, crushing him against her chest. Normally, he would have enjoyed such a splendid view, but she was literally squeezing all the breath out of him! He should have known that people would pet even stray dogs… "Ayami, stop that, you are crushing the poor thing!" the blonde, no, Thea - that was her name - said. "Oh, look who's talking. You basically landed on him!" Thea's cheeks flushed "I did not…" she pouted. "Aaaaw, but he is such a cutieee! Aren't you little guy? And look at that beautiful bow he is wearing!" she continued fawning all over him. "Gee Ayami, put that poor thing down before you squeeze the air out of him." _"Finally! At least someone has a little compassion."_ Mephisto thought. The girl put him down and continued. "We should get a dog too, you know? Can you imagine how fun it would be if we could cuddle with a dog while studying? I would give him so many treats. He is so cute, I would even let him sleep next to me!" she ruffled the hair on his head. Now _that_ idea took an interesting direction in certain demon's fantasies!

"Yeah right, and you would also walk him every day and take care of him, while balancing your studies and parties, right?" Thea rolled her eyes. "Besides, if _I_ were to get myself a dog, it would be a more...practical one." she said firmly, nodding to herself. "Practical?" Ayami asked surprised, voicing Mephisto's exact question. "Yeah, a normal dog. Like a Border Collie or Czechoslovakian Wolfdog. One that can protect you and your home when you need it. Useful. Not some handbag version of a plush toy to pamper and spoil. I mean...he is cute, but...oh, just look at the pink bow...I am telling you - if wolves had known the results of breeding, they would have never approached that warm spot at man's fireplace."

"Woof!" an angry bark suddenly escaped the demon king's maul. He couldn't believe it! That insolent, ignorant, little vixen! She dared to call _him_ , the Lord of Time, useless? Weak?! It irked him to hear such words directed towards him. He took his current form exactly because he needed to seem as cute and friendly as possible. And yet, here she stood, boasting about those little hyperactive Collies as if they were the best thing in the world. A wolf dog was it? He would show her a bloody hell-hound! His ego threatened to overwhelm his reason, and Mephisto had to do his best to not transform into his human form, grab that little charming brat by her slender neck and show her just how powerful he was!

"Well, somebody is a little touchy" the blonde chuckled beautifully which managed to annoy and delight him at the same time. "Oh, I have insulted you, haven't I?" the girl suddenly looked ashamed and knelt in front of him. Just as the last time. "I am sure you are a great, loyal dog and your owner must love you dearly. I know that everyone can be useful in his own way. Just look at me." she grinned. "Yes, you'd better look at her. She is the clumsiest, most embarrassing person in the world." Ayami said, throwing meaningful glances at her friend. "You hear that? In case you haven't noticed, this is my best friend speaking…" the blonde remarked while Ayami chatted on "She barely made it through the exams today. Quite a wonder after all that spacing out if you ask me!" "Oh, come ooon Ayami, give me a break! You know I had a difficult week and the cardio-vascular system is not my strength, either. Just wait when we get to bones and fractures!" Thea argued.

"Anyways, I am sorry. Friends?" she looked at his dog-form and smiled. Then she cupped his head with both hands, burying her fingers into his fur and gently nuzzled his nose with hers. _"What in the…"_ Mephisto thought as a strange feeling crossed his chest. She touched him just like the last time. Except now there was no healing purpose. Still, her touch was so soft and warm. Her golden locks tickled his nose which was graced by the scent of honey and cinnamon. Mephisto found himself nuzzling her back. He couldn't even process the events as the girl suddenly pulled away, eyes wide, looking around, alerted. "S-say Ayami, how about we head home? This was such an exhausting day and I just can't wait to dig into the cake." the blonde laughed nervously. "Sure, let's go!" Ayami nodded and called "Goodbye doggyyyy!" "Yeah, goodbye little one. And go back to your owner quickly. You never know what kind of...individuals…you might meet." They bid him farewell and the demon only heard Thea whispering silently to herself "...that demon again...somewhere close…" while they were heading to the south.

In a few moments, Mephisto found himself leaning on one of the great windows of his office, already in his human form. Following them would have been easy, but it was not his style to stalk young ladies. Besides, he had some answers to find. What had just happened? Did she somehow feel his demon energy despite his animal form? The girl was acting totally normal all the time. Was it because she touched him? Did _that_ give him off? If that was the case, then she knew that he - the demon - was somewhere around and decided to leave quickly. _"So, she is avoiding me, isn't she?"_ Mephisto smirked. Well, he would not let her slip through his fingers and get away with it. Not when she had managed to light such a bright spark of interest...

* * *

**Disclaimer:** Blue Exorcists belongs to Kazue Katō. Please, do not re-post or publish my story without my consent.

* * *

**Author's note:** The announced chapter update is here. Hope you all enjoyed reading it :) This is my first FF-writing attempt, so I will appreciate your thoughts and insights :)


	3. A strange pair at the fair

Finally! Mepphyland, the gem of all amusement parks had been restored to its former glory! Mephisto had been quite annoyed after Amaimon and Rin had managed to completely destroy the eastern section with his favorite roller coaster - swing ride. Not to mention one of his beautiful statuses. True, the fight _had_ been necessary in order to test Rin's newfound abilities, but things had gotten a little out of hand there. Well, he had made sure that Shura had been there to prevent any more damage. Now it was time to enjoy the rebuilt park to the fullest! The demon lord had already ordered his Exwires to take a break and enjoy this weekend, for he already had some interesting plans in mind to hasten their training.

As Mephisto was striding through the richly decorated streets of his amusement park, he spotted Rin with the rest of the Exwires rushing towards one of his newest and most adrenaline attractions - drop tower. Yes, he guessed that tying yourself to a chair and then having yourself be lifted to the air only to be let down in a dreadful speed passed perfectly as the equivalent of fun to many people. Sometimes he really wondered how humanity still prevailed. He would go for a ride soon enough, after thoroughly checking the quality of local candy shops and ice cream stands. With that sweet idea in mind, the demon lord headed towards the stand with blueberry popsicles he had come to enjoy so much. " _Aaah, there is nothing more refreshing than the taste of frozen blueberries and delicious vanilla creme."_ he mused while savoring the flavor. " _Hmm...strange... Have they added cinnamon per any chance? Chocolate too? No, less sweet. Honey?"_ Mephisto looked puzzled at his popsicle and just as he was about to ask the vendor about the strange flavor, a girl rushed past him to the same stand. She was wearing a white tank top, blue jeans and white tennis shoes. Her chocolate-brown eyes were twinkling happily, and she was trying to put her short golden locks into place. " _Oh girl, you must have the devil's own luck."_ the demon chuckled.

"Hello! May I please have the blueberry popsicle?" she chirped enthusiastically. "I am afraid we are already out of the blueberry flavor, miss." the vendor said apologetically. "Already? B-but it is still just about 2 PM." the girl wondered. "Well, that is true. It seems that this flavor is quite popular. I have just sold the last one to the kind sir over there." he pointed at Mephisto who was standing nearby enjoying his "last of a kind" popsicle. "Would you mind trying the chocolate or strawberry combination? Miss?" However, it seemed that the young lady did not hear the vendor's question. Instead, she was looking at Mephisto who returned her wide-eyed stare with an amused one. "Well hello, my lady Savior." the Lord of Time grinned and bowed flamboyantly, his trademark white cloak flashing brightly. "What a sweet coincidence. I did not expect to meet you so soon after our parting." "H-hello, Sir Dem... uhm… Sir Pheles. I did not expect to... see you at all." she stuttered out, smiling, unknowingly crushing the demon's good spirits in the process. "Well, it looks like they have run out of my favorite flavor, so I will be on my way." Before she could add any more, Mephisto closed the distance between them and put a hand on her shoulder, his head bowing slightly to hers. "And yet another wonderful coincidence. The blueberry flavor happens to be my favorite one too! I wouldn't mind sharing it." he grinned mischievously, bringing up the popsicle in between them. Oh dear, what a face she was making! So much longing for a piece of frozen blueberry. For a moment there he wished he had been that very popsicle. Abruptly, her cheeks flushed beautifully, and he felt his glove charring. And she hasn't even noticed! He must have really thrown her out of control. Good. He smiled inwardly. Suddenly, she responded. "No! I mean...I could never do that! Please, enjoy it before it melts. Goodbye!" the golden-haired girl bowed and ran off. "Pff…" Mephisto chuckled, his eyes already gleaming in anticipation of the pursuit of a certain chocolate-eyed blonde.

OoO

" _No way!"_ Thea cried internally. " _Not_ him _again! Aaargh...not only has that stupid demon been robbing me of concentration for the last two weeks, now he stole my precious blueberry popsicle, too! What is he doing here, anyway? Like demons would ride roller coasters! And what was with that crazy offer?! How could that trickster think that I would actually share a popsicle with him? Or...the other way around...no matter! That's what couples do, for God's sake!"_ she blushed suddenly in the middle of her fit, remembering how casually he touched her. His face was waaay to close for her comfort. So close that she could see little golden orbs in his eyes. " _As if I would do it for his beautiful forest-green eyes. Man, this day could not get any worse!"_ she rumbled grumpily.

"Thea! Over here!" Ayami waved at her, grinning widely. "And look who's just dropped by!" she continued enthusiastically. " _Oh crap. I spoke too soon."_ Thea cringed as she spotted the tall handsome Toshiro, their fellow student of medicine and Ayami's crush. Next to him stood Toshiro's equally tall older brother, Gin with his lovely girlfriend Chihiro. "Hi guys!" Thea tried to sound as happy as possible while her hopes for today's 'fun' were slowly, but surely vanishing. She was supposed to spend her study-free day with her best friend trying every roller coaster possible! Now she would play the third wheel at a double date… Great...Just great. She shot a meaningful look at Ayami who returned an apologetic smile combined with her undeniable puppy-eyes. " _Well, I will not let her down. And I will certainly not waste my free day. Who knows when I get another time off? I will simply tag along and enjoy it to the fullest!"_ she decided and set off. "Well, what are we waiting for then? Let's go! The pirate ship is waiting!" "Yeeey!" sounded a cheerful collective response as they rushed off to the attraction. In the meantime, a certain demon was watching from afar, patiently observing and waiting for his chance to learn something more about his little savior.

OoO

" _Well, the pendulum was fun."_ Thea tried to think positive thoughts as she found herself spinning in a teacup with three total strangers. At least it was less embarrassing than the balloon race attraction with a young family and child. Oh well, amusement rides were still fun, and she was enjoying herself quite a lot. Besides, she would not rob her best friend of the chance to get closer to the man of her dreams. Thea liked Toshiro too. He was kind, smart and polite - a great match for Ayami. Especially when she considered all the other guys Ayami had dated or just flirted with. The ride slowly came to an end and the group departed to the swing ride. It was probably the biggest one Thea had ever seen! She had always wanted to ride one. However, as they approached the stand to pay for the ride, she noticed one important detail. The swing had double-seats! " _It's OK, Thea. You will just ride alone, no biggie. Think about all the space you are gaining!_ "She smiled at the vendor and handed him money for the ticket. "And where is the other one, girl?" the balding man in his middle-ages asked hastily while fastening the belts on Ayami's and Toshiro's swing. "I will take this ride alone, if that is not a problem." "Sorry, but we need to use all capacities. Go find a second one. Neeeext!" he yelled, trying to drown out the excited crowd of people. "Wait, I will pay for that second seat!" Thea cried as the mass of people continued to rush past her. "Mister! Hey! Aaaaw..."

"One ride for the two of us, if you please." A familiar voice sounded next to Thea as a hand landed reassuringly on her right shoulder, pulling her closer, away from the crushing crowd. Thea looked up to the left, only to see the smug face of that stealing and now obviously stalking demon. What was he saying again?! No way in hell would she just casually take a ride with this annoying, pompous… "Aaaall right then, move, move. Over here. Fasten this belt. There you go. Neeeeext!" "W-wait, mister... waiiiiit!" Thea cried out as the swing started moving, rising higher and higher. How did this happen? When? She could have sworn that the time just...flew by. One second, she was being carried off by the crowd and now she was already seated, belted and almost up in the air. She also felt that strange mix of the demon's aura flashing around for a brief second, his violet-black aura flaunting.

OoO

"Now, now, Miss Thea. I suggest that you open your eyes and enjoy the splendid view." And indeed, the girl's eyes flew open. Unfortunately, it was not for the reason Mephisto hoped for. "How do you know my name?" she asked carefully. "Ah, my apologies, but I could not unhear your friends calling you." "So, you _were_ stalking me! Why?!" she burst out, but before he could say anything, the blonde outstretched her palm towards him. "Wait, not now. This is my first time riding the swing ride, so I want to enjoy it properly." The girl nodded to herself. "Splendid!" Mephisto exclaimed, as she left no space for discussion. It seemed that when it came to sweets or fun, this girl somehow lost her careful approach. He took her form in, as she was now quite happily sitting next to him, her chocolate-brown eyes focused on the scenery below them, her golden locks swinging around in the wind, a beautiful sincere smile grazing her pink lips. Her hourglass sporty figure was quite a sight, too! He couldn't believe that he had instinctively sped up the time a little just to catch a ride with her. Now he was quite thankful for his instincts. Suddenly, the girl's aura gently flaunted around her in a beautiful combination of golden and orange hues, enveloping them both, emitting joy and happiness. "You know" she started, trying to speak loud enough so that he could hear her through the rushing wind "This really _is_ the best attraction! I knew it! I knew it would be really good, but it is great!" she giggled. "It most certainly is." Mephisto said and silently thanked himself for having purchased the swing ride as one of the attractions.

When their ride ended and they got off the swing, Thea's friends came to meet them. "Thea, did you get to ride too? I did not see you get on...it was all so sudden." Ayami asked as she approached her friend and Mephisto. "Yes, of course! It was really the best!" "And who is this man you rode with?" Ayami continued, sounding very interested and annoyingly suggestive. "Aaah, this is...uhm...Sir Pheles. He is a...a..." "An acquaintance of Thea's. Pleased to meet you all." the demon lord inclined his head for which he was graced by a thankful smile from the little blonde. What? Did she think that he would reveal his true self in front of these people? "Right! An acquaintance of mine! I haven't seen him for a long time, so if it's OK, I would like to catch up on some things with him." "Oh, really?" Ayami once again managed to voice Mephisto's own question. "Yeah, it's been too long. I am sure we have _a lot_ to talk about. Go ahead and enjoy yourself. We'll meet up later." Thea encouraged her best friend, hoping she could enjoy some more privacy without feeling too guilty.

OoO

"Uffff…thank you." the young lady exhaled after parting with her friends. "What for, my dear?" the demon asked curiously. "Well, for coming up with a normal excuse in front of my friends. For not calling us a couple or lovers or something so idiotic." she blurted, her cheeks taking on a pinkish shade. "Hmm… 'lovers' you say. How intriguing!" Mephisto mused, his right hand stroking his beard. "H-hey! Stop teasing me! This is serious!" Thea said, flustered. "Oh, but I am being serious." he chuckled. "Right you are, trickster. Let's just walk, I need to process this." she mumbled. "With pleasure." he said, offering her a hand. "That won't be necessary. I can walk quite fine, thank you." she countered. "Of course, you can. Just like the last time with the cake." the demon remarked, smirking at the memory. "So, you were around! I knew it! How did you... No matter, I'd rather not know." "Very well, at least it looks like you are not avoiding me anymore. To what do I owe the sudden change?" "To yours truly, of course. I have felt your aura around since we parted. I know you have been somewhere nearby. As I told you the last time - I know you are really strong, so there is no way for me to hide from you. I might as well give you the answers now and get it over with. Look, I only wish to live peacefully. I have already helped you and thanked you for not killing me, too. So, what is it you want from me?" she finally asked. "Oh dear, there are many things I want. For example…" the demon started but was interrupted when something pulled on his white cloak.

Two kindergarten children were standing at his side, continuing to pull at his cloak, giggling. "Mum, take a picture of us! Mum!" the little boy called. "Yeah mum! It's the magic wizard! Yey!" The mum rushed towards the two of them. "Suguro, what did I tell you? Do not bother every magical being you spot." Mephisto and Thea stood speechless for a moment and then looked at each other, her eyes wide in horror, and his twinkling with amusement. "Ah, I am sorry, sir. They simply collect photos of their 'heroes'. As a mascot, surely you understand…" she blinked at him meaningfully. " _Oh God, do they have a death wish?! Wake up people, that's a demon! Don't just go calling him stupid names! What if he gets angry…? He certainly doesn't look happy about it. You'd better do something and fast Thea!"_ the girl's mind was racing. "Ehm, you see, our magic wizard is currently on a noble expedition to bring everybody a big, tasty, blueberry popsicle. S-so I am afraid that…" "But before I do so" the 'magic wizard' cut in and cut a smile that made Thea's skin crawl. " _He smiled...an irritated, terrifying smile. Couldn't those people tell? Where were their instincts?"_ "I can spare some time for my most loyal admirers." the demon winked. The kid was excited. The mother was pleased. The demon was irritated. The blonde was dumbfounded. " _I can't believe it! I can't believe he is doing it!"_ Thea thought. " _I can't believe it… I can't believe I am doing this..."_ Mephisto thought. " _A mascot… I have just been degraded from the owner of this marvelous place to a mascot."_ Mephisto thought irritated but composed himself. He then picked up both children, posing for the camera. "Perfect! Thank you so much!" the mother said. "Wait ma'am. Let me take those pictures. That way, you can have beautiful memories with your children too." Thea offered as soon as she woke up from her stupor.

As soon as they thanked and parted, Thea exhaled. "Oh God, thank you!" "You know, Miss Thea. You keep thanking me for the most unexpected reasons tonight. May I ask what I deserve this 'thanks' for?" the demon asked curiously. "Well, for keeping your… uhm… irritation in check? Yes, that's the word. Irritation…" the girl clasped her hands. Mephisto stopped in his trails. How could she guess his mood so easily? Still, there was no reason to be happy about such a ridiculous thing, or was it? Did she think that he would berate the children for such a small plea? He was not the type to… " _Oh boy, she didn't think I would_ berate _them, she thought I would_ harm _them?! Talk about prejudice… His kin certainly took a good care of their reputation..."_ Well, he couldn't really blame her. He threatened to kill her on their first meeting too. _Curse_ his curiosity and weakness for screwing around with people!

"Miss Thea, I assure you that I am fully capable of keeping my temper in check. Not to mention that I do not make it a habit to kill people over a photo." he stated as calmly and earnestly as he could. Her cheeks reddened in embarrassment and shame. "I didn't mean to offend you… I just… it's not totally unexpectable." "Indeed." was his only response. "A-anyway" the blonde started a little more lightly "Will they even be able to see you in the photo?" "I am a demon, not a vampire, Miss Thea." he replied flatly. The girl just giggled. "So... a mascot, huh? I was wondering why you chose to look like the guy on the statues. That's a pretty cool disguise if you ask me. Cheerful and harmless." "Indeed." he answered, irritation rising. Well, at least she had not called him a clown like his ill-mannered little brother. She obviously did not know that this whole amusement park was his idea _and_ property. Well, he would keep that a secret for now. "You are actually very good at fooling us, mere mortals." She continued. "Oh, but not you, correct?" "Yeah...not me." she looked him straight in the eyes, which he found strangely courageous and endearing at the same time. "Well then, Miss Thea, you promised that you would answer my questions. Tell me, how is it that you felt my presence?" "I already told you. I felt your aura. Maybe you have dropped your barrier for some reason? Anyway, it was quite overwhelming." she replied. "How flattering!" Mephisto chuckled.

" _Yeah Thea, well done, just go on and keep boosting that demon's ego. That will surely help."_ she berated herself internally. She simply couldn't figure this demon out and she was growing frustrated with every second. Since he had revealed that he had actually been a peaceful creature, she had been even more nervous than before, standing face to face with a certain death. The thing was, she could usually tell when people had evil intentions. She could feel none of it from him, which was even more unsettling considering his demon nature. He was acting politely and gentlemanly and it seemed that he really had been stalking her simply out of curiosity. However, the keyword was 'seemed'. Oh no, she would not be fooled. She would not let her guard down! She would answer the demon's questions and hopefully have this whole episode closed.

"If that is the case, I assure you that my barrier was quite intact." Mephisto interrupted her thoughts. "Well, I don't know, I just felt it, OK? Sometimes, even a close proximity or a touch is enough for me to tell. Not that I would go around touching demons, that is." "What a shame." the demon lamented. "Hey! Quit it! I... I mean...could you please stop teasing me?" she tried to moderate her tone. " _Yeah Thea, go ahead and be rude to that super-strong demon. Way to get killed! Get your act together or you will not walk out of this alive!"_ "My apologies, that demon's nature again. So, a touch you say?" the demon repeated, remembering the time at the market where she had caressed him in his animal form. "Yes, a touch. That sometimes tells me more than simply feeling the aura." "Oh?" "Sometimes, I manage to see parts of the demon's true form." Thea said reluctantly. "Like the last time...are you some kind of a demon lord? Or a king perhaps?" she suddenly asked. The Lord of Time was stunned. "Why would you think that?" he inquired cautiously. "Because of that strange crown above your head?" "Ah...so you can see my crown, then." That was unexpected. Usually, only a few signs manifested themselves here in Assiah. It seemed that the girl was able to see what was usually possible to see only in Gehenna. Things had just gotten a lot more interesting.

"Well, yes, but…" she trailed off as she slowly reached out and touched his shoulder carefully, reluctantly "now it is somehow clearer." Thea had to gulp a little, feeling the demon's overwhelming aura. She could not tear her eyes off him, so tantalizing was the sight. Mephisto could hear her heart beating fast, as the one of a hummingbird. He could not resist the urge to calm the little blonde, to make her feel more comfortable around him. If his plan was to work, she had to trust him more. Yes, it was all for the sake of his scheme, he assured himself. The demon reached out, gently clasping her hand. "So, like what you are seeing?" he asked mischievously. "I... it's very… imposing." she blushed. "What a diplomatic answer." Mephisto chuckled. Their eyes locked, chocolate-brown orbs against the forest-green pools. Suddenly, lightning crossed the sky and thunder rumbled above the heads of the visitors of the amusement park.

"Oh my, the April's weather is as unpredictable as always, it seems." Mephisto exhaled as he let go of Thea's hand. The hand he hadn't realized he had been holding the whole time. "Miss Thea, I must admit that I find your talents most interesting. If you wish to explore and master them, I suggest you visit this place" he said as he handed her his business card with the address of the True Cross Academy. Thea took it and asked perplexed. "I don't understand. This is some kind of academy. Do you mean to tell me that I can just walk into some school and learn to use my powers?" As if she hadn't already visited dozens of gurus and mediums in order to understand her powers… "Oh, not just any school. You will have the chance to see for yourself. You will not regret it, that I can promise." the demon blinked mischievously. "Simply ask for the headmaster, they will know what to do."

"Whoa, whoa, wait." Thea weaved her hands defensively in front of her. "Why would you even tell me such a thing? You are a fallen angel… why would you willingly give me a means to boost my powers, to protect myself?" "Why indeed." Mephisto smirked. "Is that really so important considering what you might gain?" "But…" Thea started only to be interrupted by a sudden downpour, accompanied by more intense flashes in the sky. "Oh dear, there you go." the demon said as he threw his white coat over Thea's head. He would have lent her the umbrella, had it not been a magical item. "Wait, no, I don't …" the blonde protested but was silenced as Mephisto put a finger over her lips. "Now then, it would be most ungentlemanly of me if I left you unaided in this kind of weather." She looked up, cheeks pink again, and for a moment there, the Lord of Time found it strangely appealing for her to be wrapped up in his clothing. He bent a little so that their faces were on an even level. "Until next time." he kissed her hand and uttered a silent "Ein, zwei, drei…"

OoO

Before Thea could say anything, the demon was gone. Another thunder rolled above her head and she found herself clutching the cloak she had been given closer. "There _will_ be a next time, won't it?" she exhaled and started walking home. What was the demon's deal anyway? First, he started stalking her, then he casually took a swing ride with her and finally he even suggested that she visited some strange school? Did he even know what the business card meant to her? She had spent so much time trying to find out more about her strange powers. Oh, she did train alone, but any kind of training was usually way better with a teacher. However, despite her efforts to find one, she only managed to stumble across a number of charlatans. Just a bunch of wanna-be mediums and people talking about chakras, performing strange rituals or reciting incantations. In some cases, the spells indeed proved useful and were actually working to some extent. She could tell, because she was able to see the effects of their healing powers for herself. However, incantations, rituals or potions were not the way _her_ powers worked. And now, the strange demon just showed up acting like he knew just the right place for her to master her talents... It was all just...too suspicious. What could he possibly gain by telling her? What if it was a trap? But then, he could have killed her anytime he wished, no need to play around... " _Aaargh, so irritating!"_ Thea gritted her teeth. Still, what if this was her only chance to learn something more? She would be grateful for any scrap of information really… She couldn't continue the way she was now, that was out of the question. "Very well, it is settled then!" the blonde breathed out and quickened her pace to get out of the downpour.

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**Disclaimer:** Blue Exorcists belongs to Kazue Katō. Please, do not re-post or publish my story without my consent.

* * *

**Author's note:** I had a lot of fun writing this chapter :). Enjoy! This is my first FF-writing attempt, so I would really appreciate your feedback :)


	4. A dream off the beam

Mephisto was standing in front of the popsicle stand, regarding the young blonde who just found out that he was the one robbing her of her favorite treat. "Well, it looks like they have run out of my favorite flavor, so I will be on my way." Before she could add any more, Mephisto closed the distance between them and put a hand on her shoulder, his head bowing slightly to hers. "And yet another wonderful coincidence. The blueberry flavor happens to be my favorite one too! I wouldn't mind sharing it." he grinned mischievously, bringing up the popsicle in between them. Oh dear, what a face she was making! So much longing for a piece of frozen blueberry. For a moment there he wished he had been that very popsicle.

Abruptly, her cheeks flushed beautifully, and she took a bit of the icy treat. The demon's eyes widened in surprise - he did not really expect her to actually take the bait. "Hmm...it's delicious!" she chuckled and urged him. "Well, it's your turn, so you'd better eat up quickly, or it melts." _"Keineswegs! Is this for real?!"_ Mephisto marveled, but took another bite almost automatically, then held it out for her again. _"Well, what do you know? I should make these offers more often."_ the demon smirked, finding himself thoroughly enjoying the strange situation. Halfway through the popsicle, Thea suddenly laughed. "Where are your manners, Sir Demon?" "Pardon?" he wondered. "You've got it smeared all over your mouth and cheek..." she grinned. "Here, let me get that for you." She stood up on her tiptoes, lightly pulled him at his tie, and before he knew it, she started disposing of the blueberry smear in the most delightful manner.

Mephisto stood there, completely paralyzed. What was she doing to him?! He knew the girl was special, but robbing him of his composure? No, that was out of question. He was _always_ in control! So why not now? Everything about her was just so… irresistible. Was she… a succubus by any chance? That would certainly explain some details, such as her intoxicating scent or hauntingly beautiful eyes his mind had so often wandered to. His thoughts were interrupted as he realized that the blonde started nibbling on his lower lip. All questions were forgotten, and the demon gave in, closing his eyes. However, he would not let her get away with this that easily. He pulled her closer and took the lead, taking extra care to be as thorough as possible. He couldn't remember the last time his desire was so strong.

Her frame was thin and fitted perfectly into his embrace. Her lips were moist and soft. Mephisto felt her heat rising, her flushed cheeks against his own. His hand found its way into her golden locks. A beautiful scent of cinnamon mixed with honey graced his sensitive nose. That sweet, crazily intoxicating scent. At that moment, the Lord of Time completely lost it. He wanted this girl. He wanted her badly. He gripped her more firmly and started his incantation to teleport somewhere more convenient - "Ein, zwei, ..." 'Clink' - a strange noise reached his ears.

"...ther. Hey, big brother!" Mephisto recognized a familiar voice. "How many times did I tell you not to disturb me during my naps, Amaimon?!" the demon asked through his teeth grumpily, completely annoyed by the disappointing turn of events. It was a dream! A stupid, silly... remarkably beautiful dream. Completely off the beam… But how?! It all felt so real, even the scent of honey and cinnamon was still strongly present. "I am sorry, big brother. Don't be mad. The assistant's just brought some snacks. They are delicious! Here, try one." the young green-haired demon said while licking his fingers. The chairman's gaze fell on his wide wooden table. A bunch of cinnamon rolls was neatly arranged on a silver platter, accompanied by fresh mint tea with honey.

Mephisto's hand found his forehead with a loud smack. "Are you feeling well, big brother? You don't like cinnamon rolls?" Amaimon inclined his head. The Lord of Time exhaled and chuckled. Then he reached for one of the sweet rolls and held it in front of him. "Oh, on the contrary, dear brother. I find them… most delicious." a grin spread on his face and he bit in. "That's good, then. I guess." "Indeed. And what about your day, Amaimon? Everything all right back in Gehenna?" Mephisto inquired. "Yes, yes. Though I got bored quite soon. The demons in Abaddon's realm are just so weak, there's no fun in fighting them. I'd rather fight our younger brother again. Oh, right! That reminds me! He went berserk again. So maybe I can go and play a little? Can I, big brother?" Mephisto almost choked on his tea. "Rin did what?! Why didn't you say so from the start?!" Mephisto thundered. "'Cause I wanted to enjoy my tea and sweets first?" The green-haired demon licked his fingers. "Seriously, Amaimon... Come on! We have no time to lose!" "Gee brother, always rushing to help your humans…You can always stop the time if things get ugly, you know?" Mephisto pinned him with a stare. "Oh well, at least I might get to fight!" Amaimon grinned.

OoO

Thea was standing in the amusement park with the strange demon, when a sudden downpour descended upon them, accompanied by more intense flashes in the sky. "Oh dear, there you go." the demon said as he threw his white coat over Thea's head. It was so long that even when it covered her head completely, part of it was still touching the ground. It felt...so silky and warm. But...why in the world would he do that? As if demons cared about people catching a cold! Ridiculous! "Wait, no, I don't …" the blonde protested but was silenced as Mephisto put a finger over her lips. "Now then, it would be most ungentlemanly of me if I left you unaided in this kind of weather." She looked up, cheeks pink again. She felt as if her heart would soon burst from her chest. Once again, he was way too close! Was that the annoying demon's habit to touch women so casually? But more importantly - why was _she_ not resisting?! She knew better than _this_! Some types of demons could be very alluring if they wanted to. They used their skills to seduce people. Was he also one of that kind?

Before she could react in any way, his lips descended upon hers gently. He cupped her cheek with his right hand, while he pulled her closer with the left one. If she didn't know that she was standing firmly on the ground, she would have thought herself still riding the swing ride. Despite the heavy rain that was soaking her wet, there was warmth emanating from his body. The demon was clutching her torso firmly, pulling her so close that she was fully covered by his broad shoulders. Thea found herself wrapping her hands through his dark violet hair, dropping his hat in the process. It was simply irresistible. She returned all his kisses with fervor. He took it as a chance to use his tongue too. The blonde gasped but instantly melted in his embrace. She knew that this was really wrong... but she simply couldn't stop herself! His hazed forest-green eyes, his devilish smirk when he saw her reactions, his attentive hands… Gosh she felt so hot, she couldn't even breathe properly. Hot...too hot. She had to catch a breath! He had to release her or else she would suffocate!

Suddenly, the whole scenery changed, and Thea found herself wrestling with a huge blanket which was thrown over her whole body including the head. When she finally managed to untangle herself from the mass of fabric, the realization dawned on her… "No way!" Thea breathed out. "No, no, no!" she kept repeating. _"I can't believe it! What in the hell was I dreaming about?! Me and that...that… No Thea, don't you dare think about it for another second!"_ she berated herself internally, feeling her cheeks heating up again _. "Ayami was right. I am really going nuts! Aaaargh!"_ the blonde cried silently, covering herself up with the blanket again as if to hide her embarrassment.

A strange scent enveloped her, something earthy and fresh. "Eeeek!" a shriek escaped her mouth as soon as she realized what exactly she was covering under. She gathered the fabric and threw it off the bed as if it were infected. " _I must have overdone it with studying. Yeah...that is it."_ the girl thought watching the demon's snow-white coat lying on the ground. How come that thing was even dry? "Thea? Are you all right in there?" Ayami's voice reached the door. "Yeah, yeah, everything is fine!" "Are you sure? I think I heard you scream." "Oh, I just … I just woke up and saw how late it already is! I totally overslept my morning study session!" "Gee Thea, relax. The study session is tomorrow." Ayami tried to calm her friend. "Aaah, you are right. I am an idiot." Thea laughed nervously. "Yeah, sometimes you certainly act like one. But don't sweat it, you are gonna ace this exam! I know it!" "Yeah, hope I will!"

Still, despite all that the annoying demon had put her through, Thea _had_ to check out the True Cross Academy. It was her chance, least she wanted to end up being a disaster for the people around her. Things _had_ been getting out of hand lately. First of all, she could observe more and more lesser demons and those dust-like creatures swarming around. They made people especially moody and inclined to harbor too many negative emotions. It could be anything from envy to suicidal thoughts or unexplainable rage. Second, there were more strange incidents and minor accidents which had far more serious consequences than they should have. The hospital staff had their hands full with people who merely slipped on the walkways and ended up breaking their leg or arm. Thea did her best to help the doctors treat them and tried to restore the patients' energy when possible. She had not fully trusted herself with her healing abilities, but sometimes there was simply no way around it - they just looked so weak and pitiful.

Sadly, there was one more problem - it seemed like some demons were directly after Thea. Oh, there had always been _some_ demons complicating her life in one way or another. She usually managed to avoid any confrontation completely. Lately though, the creatures had been so persistent, and hung around, hoping to suck out some of her life force. She wished she could have done something...anything. Unfortunately, she was only able to fend off the lowest ones, those which looked like small specks of black dust. It was always so difficult to breathe with them around! Yes, she really had to visit the Academy as soon as possible. This might be her chance to finally comprehend her powers!

OoO

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**Disclaimer:** Blue Exorcists belongs to Kazue Katō. Please, do not re-post or publish my story without my consent.

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**Author's note:** And another chapter is out :) Hope it brightens your (probably in quarantine spent) days. This is my first FF-writing attempt, so I would really appreciate your feedback :)


	5. A civilian and a villain

Explosion roared outside from the direction of dormitories of the True Cross Academy. The demon lord's head hit the table as it slipped off the hand where it had been resting. He finally spared an hour to take a nap, only to be brought back to reality in such a cruel matter. He really _hated_ to be interrupted from his naps. They had already been so scarce and shallow… Mephisto didn't even need to look out of the large windows of his office to know that it was none other than his little brother causing another disaster by letting his demon powers flaunt around too much. _"So little time and so much to learn…"_ he concluded.

Gradually, his senses picked up further sources of energy - young Miwa and Suguro were undoubtedly chanting the purifying incantations. The effect was far from Rin's blue flames, but at least they could battle the enemy without destroying half of the Academy's property. Rin had to learn to control his abilities as soon as possible but at the same time, he also had to learn to fight without depending too much on them. Not everything in the world could be battled by pure force or by simply burning it down. He just hoped that today's training would prove useful in that particular aspect. After all, he had arranged the trainer himself. Only the said training was supposed to start an hour later! Well, now when he was awake, he might as well go and enjoy the show.

OoO

"Dammit! Where did that bastard disappear?!" Rin breathed heavily, clutching his sword. "Get a grip, Rin, will ya?! We have to get Izumo outta here." Bon urged while reciting the Buddhist Mantra of Light in his mind. It kept a protective shield in front of his friends in case the demon appeared again. Izumo lay on the ground surrounded by Shiemi and Konekomaru. She looked pale and her breathing was slow. "I... I'm sorry...I couldn't move…" Izumo tried to explain. Her familiars Mike and Uke were long gone, as she couldn't summon even a speck of energy. "We have to do something - Nee, give me some Maca root, quickly!" Shiemi urged her Greenman familiar hoping to restore some of her friend's energy.

"We need to alter our strategy. The demon is just pushing us around and we are playing right into his hands." Konekomaru stated, already thinking about possible plans of action. "Yeah, but what the hell was that?! One moment we pushed him out into the open and Izumo was totally nailing it and as soon as I turned, she looked totally paralyzed. When I reached out to her and grabbed her by the hand, I couldn't move an inch. Nor could she! If Shiemi hadn't pulled us out with those tree branches, I…" Rin gritted his teeth. "I don't know how he did it." Konekomaru admitted grudgingly." I didn't see him cast any spells. Did you, Bon?" "No, I didn't sense anything like that. He never even touched Izumo." "Well, what does it mean then?" Rin demanded angrily. "It means that he must have done something _before_ all this started. He came prepared for us."

OoO

"Shit! That bastard! He went too far! Come on, we gotta stop this or the lil' girl's going to end up in hospital." The extravagant, sparsely clothed redhead cursed as she prepared to jump off the roof she had been hiding on. "No, Shura. We have clear orders. This is the training our chairman requested, and we are _not_ to interfere unless it is an emergency. Stand down." The man in uniform stated calmly while adjusting his glasses. "Are you blind, you moron?! The girl..." "The girl hasn't even fainted yet, Shura." The man interrupted, getting a little annoyed. "Geez Yukio...Fine…" It was not as if Yukio _didn't_ want to interfere. The urge to protect his students and, well, friends, was strong but he simply _couldn't_. If he did, the Exwires would never learn to work on their own.

"Now, now, you two. Why the long faces? You should have more faith in your students, Mr. Okumura." An amused voice reached the teachers. They looked up and were greeted by their grinning employer who was sitting in his comfortable flying chair. "Mephisto! Ya pompous ass, what do ya think you're doing to the poor brats?!" Shura instantly exploded. "I suggest you calm yourself, Miss Kirigakure, lest you want to expose our location to the whole Tokyo." The demon shushed her. "Tsk...fine! But mark my words - as soon as I see any more trouble, I am going down for that Izumo girl." "Very well. Until then, why don't we just give it a little time? I am sure that things will yet get interes..." Mephisto trailed off.

"Huh? What was that?" Shura asked and was stunned to see the demon so focused, his eyes slightly widened. _"Wait a minute...what's with that expression? He looks so serious all of a sudden. What is going on?"_ And then she saw it. Or rather, _her_. A girl was running right towards the group of Exwires. She instantly stood up. "That's a civilian! How the hell did she even get here?! Yukio!" "Right, we have to get her out of there." Yukio nodded. "Do _not_ make a move." The chairman ordered. "But Sir Pheles, there is a civilian down there! We can't risk…" "I believe I expressed myself clearly enough, Mr. Okumura. Stay put. That is no mere civilian you are looking at." He said, sounding ever so serious. "What? Do you mean to say that this was _supposed_ to happen?" the young teacher questioned. "Oh, there could have been no better timing, really." The demon grinned as he entwined his fingers in anticipation.

OoO

Thea stood before the enormous golden-glided gate and had to gulp twice to suppress her nervousness. _"So,_ this _is The True Cross Academy?"_ A great mason-like building with high windows was stretching behind the gate. The walkways were lined by trees of every sort and height, there were rose bushes and other flowers right next to exquisite fountains. "May I help you, young Miss?" the receptionist asked, interrupting Thea from her moment of admiration. She showed the man the business card and explained that she was visiting the chairman of the academy. He nodded as if he expected her to come and then handed her a map of the place so that she could get to the principal's office. Judging from the brief look at the map, the place was huge! So many buildings, sections and even dormitories. Not to mention all the parks and... training areas?

The great golden gate opened, and she stepped in. Suddenly, her vision blurred and the only thing she was able to see were dozens of hues of colors radiating from all around the place. "What in the…" the blonde exclaimed, as she was clutching her head with both hands. _"So many auras! How come I didn't feel them before? Is there a barrier put over the place? Gosh, I have never felt so many people with spiritual powers in one place! Well Thea, seems like you found just the right place!"_ She was usually able to ignore the auras around her. After all, everybody had one, no matter how small. However, this was totally different. The auras were a lot stronger and larger. And those were only the auras she was allowed to see, uncoated by a barrier. She instantly thought about the strange demon whom she had healed. Now his aura had been something to behold!

As she passed the big garden section, Thea found herself close to a set of buildings marked as a training area No 5. In that instant, she heard something like an explosion. How strange… she must have imagined it. However, what she felt seconds later proved her wrong. A powerful red and a terrifying blue aura blazed from that direction. Thea froze in her steps. Those did not belong to humans, but to… _"No way! What would demons do in a place like this? Is it… a trap? Am I in a demon's lair now? Did that trickster lie to me?! No, no. I am positive that I can feel holy powers too… Something is wrong. What now? Think, Thea!"_ One of the auras coming from the direction of the training area suddenly weakened to the point where she had difficulties to even pick it up. _"Oh no."_ the blonde thought. She knew this feeling. She had felt it so many times already, especially in hospitals when people were about to… No! Better not to think about it! She had to act! And fast! _"The meeting with the chairman would have to wait."_ she decided, already running right towards the slowly diminishing source of energy.

As she was closing in on the training area, her senses alerted her about the presence of two other demons. Fortunately, they were the types to let their aura flaunt around freely. Lesser ones, then. Good. She waited away from their sight, assessing the situation, seemingly concentrating at the map in her hands. A group of three students approached them, pointing at something in the direction of the training area. Thea held her breath, hoping that those demons would not leash out at them! To her surprise, one just shook his head and the other folded his arms, assuming a defensive stance. And so, the group of students left. _"I see. So those demons are guarding that place."_ the blonde pondered. _"And it looks like the students had no idea about the guards being demons, too! Wow, ignorance really is a bliss!"_ She turned away as if she was about to leave in a different direction. When she was certain she was out of sight, she carefully moved through the trees and bushes around the whole building section. The task was difficult, because while she had to hurry, she also had to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Even the lesser demons had perfect senses, after all.

When Thea reached the other side of the training area, she decided to enter the building through one of the enormous doors. There was something akin to a barrier put around that training area. She stopped to think. _"Would that alert the demons? Well, there is only one way to find out."_ As soon as she had clutched the handle, she felt two most unsettling things. First of all, there was indeed a barrier placed there. And second, one of the two guards was closing in on her, his turquoise aura leashing out. She had to do something, or she would be discovered! _"Here goes nothing!"_ the blonde quickly pushed the door. A wave of electricity-like energy shook her body, prickled, and burnt. Still, it was not that bad. It felt like walking through a jelly, the air was so thick! When she was finally through, the chocolate-eyed girl quickly took in her surroundings. _"Gotta hide, gotta hide!"_ her heart was racing as she held her breath.

"Strange, the barrier is intact." she could hear the demon from outside. He then stepped into the building; his steps echoed in the corridors. "Found anything?" a strange disrupted voice sounded followed by a beep. "Nah, it looks clear all right." "I told you it was nothing to worry about. Stop being so uptight." the muffled voice answered. "Hey, don't you order me around! I said I felt something!" the turquoise-aura turned to leave the building. "Hey, the hell is this? Oh man, don't tell me this was another false alarm!" the demon grunted. "You still there? Hurry up back. All the beautiful schoolgirls are over here." the muffled voice cheered. "You idiot! Guess what I found?!" "Your sense of humor?" "Shut up, moron! It's another dead bird! I swear you cannot cast a decent barrier! How many times did I tell you to…" the voice was cut off by the sound of door slamming. Thea let her breath out as she came out of the bathroom. _"That was a close one! Now then, let's get moving."_ she nodded with resolve in her eyes. In contrast to the huge red and blue demonic auras, the poor pinkish one was getting difficult to pick up!

OoO

"Shiemi, how is she? Did the plant help?" Rin asked, concern written all over his face. "I am afraid not, Rin. I... I don't know what else I can do. The plants just don't work fast enough." Shiemi replied with tears building up in her eyes. "We've got company!" Bon said suddenly. "Where? Where is he? I am going to tear him to pieces!" Rin growled and before Konekomaru could stop him, the half-demon dashed off somewhere towards the trees. "Why must he always be so impulsive!" Konekomaru adjusted his glasses and shouted after his friend. "It's not him! It's a... girl?!" "What? No way! A civilian! - Hey! You there! Stop right there! Do not interfere!" Bon shouted. "Get back! Do not get any closer!" Konekomaru joined in, waving his hands. But the girl with short golden hair didn't stop until she reached their group.

"Please wait, I can help!" the young chocolate-eyed blonde panted. "What?!" everyone cried out. "Who are you? How could you possibly help?" Konekomaru questioned. "There's no time. The girl on the ground, her life force is weakening! Please, I can help!" she urged. Shiemi whimpered "If you can, please help her." she looked up, tears already streaming down her face. "Right. But first, we have to leave! Those demons are very close by. We need to get the girl out to safety." Thea urged. "Sorry girl, but we are in the middle of a fight. If you wanna help, do it here." Bon cut in. "But the demons! Careful! One is coming closer!" she said pointing at the source of the tremendous blue aura. "Oh, that's all right, he's with us." Konekomaru said, trying to reassure the newcomer as he saw her eyes widen. "B-but, that's a demon! The one with the blue aura! We need to go! Now!" A hand reached for Thea's shoulder and the doll-like girl in pink skirt said. "It's true, he _is_ our friend. You need to trust us. Please." she pleaded with her earnestly. "Are you sure?" Thea asked with disbelief. "Yes." "Positive?" "Yes!" everyone said in union. "OK, let me see the girl." Thea nodded and turned her attention towards the person lying on the ground.

A teenage boy with black hair and katana in his hand was rushing towards the group. "Bastard! The park was clear! We are not here to play hide and seek! You hear me?! Come out and fight!" the boy yelled. Then he spotted the blonde. "Hey, where did you come from?" he looked at her questioningly. She didn't seem much of a threat, but neither did that red-headed bastard at first. "I-I came to help." the girl answered slowly. "No kidding! So, you can take care of Izumo?" he asked. "Yes, I hope so." the blonde knelt on the ground, put her hands on Izumo's temples, took a deep breath and suddenly, a strange golden-white light enveloped them. Everybody gasped. "What is this?" Rin wondered, clutching his hand on the chest as a strange warm feeling spread through his whole being. "I don't know, but it feels so...peaceful. Who _is_ she?"

OoO

"Not fair~" came an annoyed complaint from the demon the group had been battling just moments ago. "It was already getting fun!" The demon said as he appeared before the group. He had long red hair pulled up in a ponytail and wore a simple black suit. After having fought him, the group already knew that he did not use any weapons but strange reddish orbs of energy that seemed to explode when touching anything of substance. "Oh, I'll show you fun!" Rin shouted, sending a wave of blue flames with his sword towards his opponent. "Is that all you've got? Tsk...those blue flames are wasted on you." the demon mocked while dodging the attack effortlessly. Then he formed another set of those peculiar orbs on each of his fingers. "What did you say?!" "Rin! Focus! He is just taunting you." Konekomaru tried to calm him down. In the meantime, Bon repositioned his barrier just in time to absorb the flying orbs aimed at them. Some of the energy spheres hit the ground only to send a huge amount of debris into the air. However, Shiemi was also ready this time. In the blink of an eye, Nee sprouted trees with strong branches and bushes all around them, protecting everybody from the pieces of earth and paving which was raining down on them.

Nice one, Shiemi!" Rin complimented and sent another surge of flames after the attacker. The blast was so strong now that the red-haired demon did not manage to fully evade it and part of his left sleeve got burnt. Rin did not wait any longer with another attack and started after him. Then, all of the sudden, he tripped and landed facedown on the ground! "What the hell?!" he yelled angrily. "Rin!" his friends called. The young half-demon scrambled to his knees, but he couldn't move his left leg. Not only that. It hurt really badly! That was unbelievable. He had been hurt so many times and was always able to withstand a lot of pain. So why the hell did it hurt so much?! Was he getting weaker? He looked up and saw the demon inspecting his arm. _"Heh, looks like I got him this time. And thanks to Izumo's previous attack, he is now limping a little too! Serves him right, bastard!"_ Rin thought, encouraged. "Congratulations. You actually managed to land a blow with those pitiful skills of yours. However, your pathetic attempts end now." the redhead narrowed his gaze and aimed another set of his explosive orbs at Rin. The Exwires saw that Rin couldn't move an inch so they started after him to offer some cover.

"Stop! Don't move!" shouted the strange girl catching Bon's sleeve. "Are you crazy? We won't abandon our friend!" Bon shouted back, shaking her hand off. He moved a few steps towards Rin and repositioned his protective shield in front of him. "You don't understand, you will get trapped too!" "Huh?!" Suddenly, another wave of those reddish orbs came flying towards the group. Bon didn't hesitate and outstretched his ward towards the attacking demon. An explosion roared as the orbs hit the barrier Bon conjured, completely annihilating it. "Listen to me, please!" Thea was panting. Her hands were trembling from the sudden rush of adrenaline and from the flow of energy she willed to intensify. This was getting really exhausting! "You must watch your step. There are strange… pools all around you. I think that they will consume your life force if you touch them!" She tried to explain through the explosions.

The blonde looked at the black-haired boy whose leg was stuck on the surface of one of those oval-shaped traps on the ground. She had to use all of her willpower to ignore the fact that the boy was one of the sources of demonic energy. After all, he really seemed to be protecting his friends against the other demon. That was the true villain, the true enemy. So instead, she tried to figure out how to get him out of there. The strange 'pools' were like whirlpools of energy, sucking the boy's energy deeper and deeper, latching at his life force. She could see the boy's powers and those blue flames slowly flowing down the whirlpool, leaving him weaker by the second.

"What are you talking about?" Konekomaru wondered. "There is nothing on the ground." Shiemi said, looking around her. "There is no time! Get him out!" the girl cried. Suddenly, huge vines and thick branches sprouted from behind the Thea's head. They grew and twisted until they reached the two boys trapped in the reddish whirlpools. "I've got you, Rin!" Shiemi called. The branches entwined around him and started lifting the trapped boy. "Oh, I don't think so." their attacker shouted as he sent his orbs flying towards Rin and the branches. Bon quickly repositioned his own barrier while Konekomaru started off chanting one of Psalms from the Bible that was supposed to ward off fire. He was frustrated that until now, he still couldn't figure out that demon's weak spot and thus the correct psalm to use against him. Explosion roared all around Rin, but he could feel none of the treacherous orbs managed to land. The teenage half-demon was really thankful to his friends. However, he had to help too! He couldn't just lay there letting his powers get all sucked out! And so, he used the moment when the opponent would think him covering before his orbs, summoned his strength and let his flames blaze and find their way towards the red-haired bastard.

OoO

The red-haired bastard didn't see the outburst coming so short after his own attack, but managed to avoid it, nonetheless. _"Damn, but the son of Satan is something! The brat might be untrained and still hopelessly far from assuming any fighting style, but boy oh boy, I could kill for that exquisite raw power of his!"_ he mused. _"I have to be careful or I might end up like a French fry myself."_ Mephisto had expressed himself perfectly clear on the matter of his 'students' well being, so he held himself back. But only to the point of not harming anyone too severely. He wanted to see some blood tonight. Oh, would the brats hurry up and get Okumura out of his Sphere of Despair?! That's right...A cool technique deserved a cool name! His eight demon vortexes covered strategic points of advance on the ground, sucking the life force out of anybody who was foolish enough to step into them. Or anybody who was unlucky enough to be unable to see them. Which was almost everyone, apart from individuals with the spiritual awareness of upper-class exorcists or demon dukes and higher. That reminded him of the cute newcomer who, apparently, _could_ see them. That was preposterous! She was obviously far beneath his level, merely a human with some healing powers. How could _she_ possibly see it? Was that Mephisto's doing? Come to think of it, he had _not_ mentioned her when he had assigned this job to him. Was Mephisto testing him too? His thoughts darkened. He had agreed to give the brats a little beating, but he would not be made fun of! Not even by the Lord of Time himself. _"Just you wait, you trickster! You want a show, then a show you will get!"_

OoO

"Dammit!" Rin swore as the blue flames missed his target by inches. At least he could move now, and his energy was no longer being sucked away. He had to strike that bastard down, before his powers were completely depleted. Damn, he felt so exhausted! Suddenly, Bon's aura appeared in front of him and he saw the strange girl standing next to him. "Hey, I healed your friend, she should be all right now. I will help you too, just please… please promise me you will not kill me, OK?" she asked, trembling all over. _"What the hell is wrong with her? Why would I want to… Ah right… 'cause you are a demon, stupid!"_ "Hey! I am the good guy here, you know?!" he poked at his chest with his finger. "Don't you worry. My only enemy is that son of a bitch over there." he pointed his sword at the demon in the suit. "All right, I will trust your word." the girl nodded. "Sure, sure. Now enough with the chit-chat, we need to strike!" the teenage boy said, setting off for his enemy. "Wait! You can't just rush in!" the blonde caught his arm. And burnt it in the process. Curse her stupid unstable powers! The boy yelped. "H-hey! The hell are you trying to pull here?! I thought we were on the same team!" he shouted at her. "I-am sorry! I really didn't mean to, I swear!" she said, calming her aura. "Tsk, fine." he shook the arm, the burns already starting to close. "So, what's the plan?"

"Listen, there are… pools of energy on the ground. They look like red ovals. And yes, I know you probably cannot see them, but trust me, they are there! And if you step into them, they will drain you out of energy. You must not touch them." the blonde started. Rin held her gaze for a moment, then nodded. "All right, so what now?" "If you mean to get any closer to that demon, I can navigate you through this minefield. Are you in?" she shouted through all that rumbling and exploding. "Right! Let's do this! So… how exactly are we going to do it?" "Just give me your hand, I will be your eyes. Your friend is holding up a barrier for us." The curious newcomer grabbed his hand, careful not to burn the demon again, and started off towards their enemy. They ran and zigzagged through the training ground, dodging those blasted orbs and vortexes. However, the opposing demon made sure to give them a hard time getting anywhere near him. "Left!" the girl shouted. "Jump! To the right. Now!" she navigated, and Rin did his best to avoid the invisible traps. At last they managed to reach him, though. Rin jumped out from the smoke; his katana aimed at the demon's throat. He didn't hesitate and put all of his remaining strength into that blow, commanding the flames to burst intensively all around his figure.

A terrible cry echoed through the academy grounds as Rin's katana caught the flesh of the demon's left shoulder, digging deep into it. "You…!" the redhead gritted out, blood trailing down his shoulder. "I must admit that your sheer power is really something. However, that won't be enough to defeat me!" he growled. Then he caught Rin's katana that was digging into his shoulder with his left hand and backhanded Rin with his right, where another set of orbs was already prepared. The impact sent Rin flying while releasing the sword in the process. The redhead picked it up admiringly, swishing it around. "What a beautiful toy you have, and yet you cannot even use it properly. What a waste." he lamented. "Now then, where was I?"

Rin's head was ringing, and his chest felt as if it had been pierced. Wait… It _had_ been pierced, blood already seeping out of it at an alarming speed. No! He had to stand up! He had to fight! Suddenly, he felt himself being pulled up by the strange girl. Now, he too was enveloped in her golden light, feeling some of his energy slowly returning. It really _did_ feel peaceful. "It's OK, it's OK… got you. Hey… hear me? You have to stay conscious!" he heard the strange girl saying. His eyes widened as a strong surge of energy suddenly flowed into him. The wound in his chest instantly started to close. Rin knew that his half-demon body wouldn't fail him! He always healed faster than humans. But the girl's energy boost was just what he needed to speed it up significantly. "Ah, thanks!" Rin managed to say as he took the surroundings in. The blonde girl did not look too well. "Hey, you OK? You look..." "Forget it!" she cut him off and urged, panting. "Stand up! We have to move, or else…" she suddenly trailed off. "Oh no." "What? What's happening?" the half-demon tried to find out. "We are trapped." she gulped, looking alarmingly all around her. "He closed up our escape route, too!" "What are you talking about?" "All of the whirlpool things are around us; he made a circle of them!"

"Clever girl. You can see my vortexes, can't you? Well, in that case you can also see that there is no way out for you." the demon in the suit said, holding her gaze. "Hey, girl. You said that the things are surrounding us, right?" Rin asked. "Yeah...and he is making them come closer to us." she answered and backed off a little. "I've got an idea. Hold on!" he caught her around the waist, pulling her hand around his neck, and jumped as high as his demon powers let him. They soared a few meters above the ground and Rin tried to maneuver them to the side towards the balconies. He figured that if he tried to just jump to the side, that son of a bitch would just move the vortex for them to conveniently land in it. So up they went. Just as they were about to land at the balcony, the girl he was holding suddenly gasped. He felt her letting go of the hold, pushing his hand away from her waist and putting all her strength into kicking him off her. _"What the hell?! Did she just… Dammit, she actually kicked me off!"_ Rin was so stunned - it all happened in a second! He found himself dropping to the balcony roughly. "Are you crazy? What was that for?" he yelled, brushing the blood from his torn lip away.

Suddenly, a painful scream sounded above him. The girl who had the nerve to push him off was now levitating strangely at the exact spot where he was pushed from just seconds ago. Her expression was one of pure anguish and pain. Just as… just as Izumo's was before she ended up in a heap on the ground. "No way! Don't tell me he can move those blasted things up there!" "That's right, Son of Satan. Seems like she pushed you away in the last second. What a troublesome woman. But you, I expected far more from one of your… reputation. Pathetic." the demon sniffed. "Let her go! She's got nothing to do with this! Ya hear me?! Take her down, you bastard!" Rin threatened while his eyes were searching for his katana. "Oh, don't you worry. I will do just that." a devilish smile spread across the demon's face.

The Exwires looked up. The blonde girl was silent now, fists gritted, eyes closed, brows furrowed in concentration. A strange golden light was pulsing all around her small form. As if she tried to burst out of the vortex trap. "You little vixen. Trying to escape my Sphere of Despair, I see. Not today, dear." All of a sudden, the girl opened her now completely golden eyes and one of his vortexes fell apart. _"No way!"_ The redhead gaped. _"How dare she?!"_ The demon's expression grew sinister as he moved the remaining vortexes closer to her. They closed up from all sides, forming a globe. "Sync!" he finished the incantation, getting another scream from the girl. Her eyes stopped shining, but the light around her continued to pulse, if a tad slower. An incredible amount of rage raked the demon. He summoned a set of orbs. However, instead of sending them flying right away, he formed just one powerful globe out of them and aimed at his trapped victim above. The girl seemed to sense it coming and the light pulsed more urgently around her. _"You are going to pay for this. If Mephisto really sent you, then you would be strong enough to get out of there. If not...well..."_ the demon thought while releasing a powerful blast of energy towards her.

OoO

_"_ _I didn't really think this through, huh?"_ Thea sulked. She was levitating in the air in those 'vortexes'. That's how the demon called those disgusting things. _"I just wanted to help, dammit! Why am I always like this… Stupid! Stupid!"_ The blonde clutched her chest, tears streaming down her face. It hurt so much! As always when she tried to summon every speck of her energy. She actually managed to dispel one of the whirlpools! But what now? Her strength was completely depleted. She felt so drained, so tired. Everything hurt. Was this how she would end? _"Oh man, I should have gone to the principal. Tsk...who are you kidding, Thea? That is not you. A girl with some twisted heroic complex, that's who you are. And now, you are going to pay for it… If only… there was a way to avoid this end. A help. Protection…"_

_"_ _However, my offer still stands. Should you require my assistance, simply say my name."_ Thea's heart almost stopped. Those were… the demon's words. Right? But she couldn't possibly… he had already spared her life! But what if this was the only way? And the guys down there! The villain was simply too strong, too twisted. They needed help! And she was already losing consciousness. _"Maybe… maybe he would come."_ And so, she selfishly voiced her plea. "S-Sir Pheles...please...I... need...ugh..." her voice faltered as tiredness and pain overcame her.

OoO

"S-Sir Pheles...please...I... need...ugh..." a soft voice reached the demon lord's sensitive ears. A silent plea that thundered louder than all the explosions until now had. Mephisto's eyes widened for the second time today. "Null. Verweile noch." a calm command stopped the rushing orb before hitting its target. The Lord of Time had made his move even before he heard the words leaving her mouth and ripped her out of the torturous vortex prison. The girl called for his aid. In the last moment, she remembered his promise to aid her. And she called him! Of course, calling for help when in need was a natural and selfish thing to do but for some reason, the demon felt strangely flattered to be the one in her last thoughts. Especially knowing how distrustful she was of all demons and well, him in particular.

"You...you came." a muffled voice interrupted his thoughts. _"Oh, du liebe Güte, you are really battered."_ She was clutching her chest in pain. The vortexes must have drained her. Not to mention the extensive healing she performed. She even managed to break one of the vortexes! It had been a few decades since he had seen anybody do that to Apollyon… Oh yes, she would be a great asset for his Academy. Come to think of the Academy, she also must have got into the training area through his guardians. He couldn't help but feel… impressed. What she managed today was no easy feat. Mephisto looked at her more closely. Her chocolate-brown eyes were only slightly opened, and a small grateful smile graced her lips. "I-I thank…" she trailed off, clearly too exhausted to speak. "Hush now. Rest." he tried to calm her down. "The group! The guys… down there… still in danger." she clutched his tie. _"Oh, of course she would be more concerned for the Exwires than for her own wellbeing... How very noble of her."_ "They are safe now. _You_ are safe." the demon assured. "Oh...am I?" she smiled and leaned into his embrace, eyes fluttering shut. "Trustful as usual, I see." he smirked and pulled her closer, letting the time flow again.

The Lord of Time appeared before the group of Exwires, the young girl firmly in his grip. "That would be enough for today, Apollyon. Your services are appreciated." he stated, looking the red-head demon in the eye. Apollyon knew better than to oppose that dismissal, even though it irked him to the bone. "As you command." he uttered, teleporting back to Gehenna to replenish his strength. Satan son's flames merely brushed him and the wound on his shoulder was really nothing serious, but man, was it effective. If it weren't for those flames, his wounds would have been halfway healed. But what gnawed on him more was the girl who got off with breaking one of his vortexes! Fifty years of harvesting souls and his own energy to create one - all gone to waste! Oh, she would pay for that dearly! There would be another opportunity, as long as his 'master' intended to use him for training his humans...

"Mr. Okumura, Miss Kirigakure, I believe it is time for you to take care of your students." Both teachers rushed towards the Exwires, so they could inspect Izumo's condition and check upon the others too. "What was that about?!" Rin exclaimed. "Don't tell me this was another of your so-called training sessions!" "Gee, Okumura. Of course, it was a lesson. We are still on the academy grounds, aren't we?!" Bon exclaimed. "Yeah, well, what does it matter? Izumo is wrecked, you know?" "Then I suggest you both moderate your tone. Our patients will need some rest." Mephisto cut in, irritation rising. "Miss Kirigakure, Mr. Okumura, would you be so kind as to see the Exwires to the hospital wing? I see that Miss Kamiki's condition is stabilized after the treatment she received but another healing session will surely do no harm. We shall meet tomorrow and discuss today's training." "Eh, sure. The Izumo girl really does seem OK." Shura wondered as she inspected her sleeping student "Remarkable. Her lifeforce was almost fully restored." Yukio marveled. "So, the supposed civilian is in fact a Doctor?" "Not yet, Mr. Okumura." Mephisto cut in, urgency in his voice - Thea's body was growing cold and she seemed to have some kind of chest pain. Strange, he didn't notice her being hurt there. He would need to have her checked thoroughly. "And if she does not receive a treatment any soon, she might never become one. Now, if you excuse me, ein-zwei-drei~"

OoO

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**Disclaimer:** Blue Exorcists belongs to Kazue Katō. Please, do not re-post or publish my story without my consent.

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**Author's note:** Hello there :) Apologies for the slight delay in posting this chapter. In the last second, I decided not to end the chapter with a cliffhanger and post a longer one instead. Thank you for your patience and hope you will enjoy this one :) This is my first FF-writing attempt, so I would really appreciate your feedback :)


	6. An angry ghost laughs the most

The little blonde was slumbering peacefully now. No more ragged breathing, no more pain, and no more tears. Just a calm expression on her face which would have been bathing in the sunlight, had it not been for the long shadow looming over her body. A certain violet-haired demon had, for some inexplicable reason, found his way towards Thea's room in the hospital wing of the True Cross Academy. Something about her presence just seemed to make him feel… relaxed, more at ease. Exactly what the Lord of Time needed to collect his thoughts and arrange them to some resemblance of order. He was standing next to the girl's bed, hands clasped behind his back, his mind occupied with the memories of the lesson he had put the Exwires through. The Exwires and the young lady who, unknowingly yet again, had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. At least from her point of view, as there could have been no better timing for the Lord of the Time, really.

He still remembered the determined look on her face when she had rushed to help his students. Just like she had run to him that night… She truly was a hopeless case. The demon thought back on the latest encounter. He really wanted to see how the girl would fare in such a dangerous situation. What other powers did she have up her sleeve? How strong would she really be? He really wished to see and enjoy an even better show. Well, he did… in a way. The demon quickly went through all the events and found himself quite intrigued with the girl's abilities. Yes, there were many aspects where she was certainly lacking, but nothing that couldn't be fixed by decent training. Oh, he would make sure she was trained, lest she wanted to repeat her journey to the other world… Something really irritated him about the prospect of her demise, not to mention by the hands of Apollyon, in his wicked vortexes. That was out of the question. No, he would never allow losing such an asset.

OoO

"Hmmm...where...oh, my head!" Thea instinctively reached for her head which started pulsating and spinning as soon as she sat up. "Now, now, take it easy, Miss Thea." The chocolate-eyed girl gasped. "S-Sir Pheles! What are you…" she trailed off as the memories of recent events flooded her mind. "So… that really happened?! The Academy. All those people with crazily strong powers. Those blasted vortexes… All of it?!" she exclaimed. "I should think so. After all, I was there too, remember?" he winked. Her expression became thoughtful. "Yes...you were. Oh, Sir Pheles, the guys! What about the group of people with those crazy powers? Are they safe?" she asked, concern written all over her face. "They most certainly are." the demon confirmed. "Thank goodness." she sighed, relieved. "For a while, I really thought I was going to… Gosh, I was so weak! It's so frustrating!" she put a hand over her face in a hopeless try to cover up her building-up tears.

"That would be a terrible underestimation of your skills, Miss Thea." the demon lord started. "Oh, would it?" the blonde started sarcastically. "How would you know?! You weren't even there to see these 'underestimated' skills in action." she rolled her eyes. _"Ever so careful, I see..."_ Mephisto thought. "Let's just say that those _guys_ you helped were impressed enough as to ask me to express their deepest thanks for saving their lives." "I-I see… well then, at least everything ended up well. I am grateful. Actually, uhm… thank you, Sir Pheles." she looked him earnestly in the eyes. Now _that_ sparked a very strange feeling in a certain demon's chest. People did not tend to express any gratitude towards demons, no matter how great the aid offered. Perhaps it had to do something with the prospect of payment for the said service? "The kids… and well, me… we are fine thanks to you, so… yeah. I guess I owe you one, don't I?" she finished, letting out another sigh, which was far from relief this time.

_"_ _Ah, so here comes the 'payment talk'."_ Mephisto thought but decided not to let it go any further. "Why Miss Thea, it looks like you must have suffered a memory loss along with your other injuries, too." The demon lord lamented; a fake concern plastered on his face. However, the blonde's dumbstruck face was enough to make all his theatrical efforts go in vain. She was actually holding her head, as if to help herself remember. A low chuckle escaped his throat. "The first time we met, and you were gracious enough to heal my injuries, I offered you my help in return, should you ever require it. Now, I certainly did not expect that you would find yourself in such a situation so quickly, but it seems that you possess a rare ability to draw in quite dangerous encounters. You called and I responded, as promised." "That is… very honorable of you, Sir Pheles." The demon sighed. "Another diplomatic answer?" The blonde suddenly reached out and pulled at his sleeve. "No! I mean it, I swear! I will remember your help, Sir. I promise." she offered him one of her most earnest, thankful smiles. Shades of pink suddenly appeared on the headmaster's cheeks. What was that little vixen thinking, looking at him like that? She was supposed to be the distrustful one. So open! Nobody dared to lose focus around him, to let down one's guard. She should know better. He covered the slight blush on his face with his hand. His human vessel must have been failing him. He decided to strategically move on with the topic.

"How bizarre." Mephisto started. "To think that you would heal a demon. That you would extend your thanks towards a demon. And that you would fight _alongside_ one to protect him and his friends." "You mean the one with the blue flames, right? You have seen him too… At first, I really thought that he was a demon. His aura felt so… devastating, scorching. Just like those blue flames of his. However, ... I don't think that he really was a demon. Oh, his powers were demonic, no doubt about that. But he seemed kind of... 'human' to me. Maybe just 'a little' demon?" "Very keen observation, Miss Thea. Yes, he was what we call a half-demon. And not just any." he held her gaze, hoping for her to continue. "I knew you would know these things!" the blonde exclaimed, sounding almost happy. "Yes, his demonic powers were...something remarkable. I think that he might be some kind of lord too, despite the deceiving appearances." "Oh?"

Thea started counting out "Well, apart from the crazy burning flames, that tail, pointy ears and fangs, he also wore some kind of a crown made of blue flames." she tried visualising that one with her hands, drawing invisible circles above her head. She was just so… expressive and lively when talking. "I must say that it was kind of scary." she admitted silently. "And yet you decided to help him." It was not a question, but Mephisto knew she would catch up on that statement. "I guess so. As much as I couldn't believe it, he was the good guy! All the others confirmed that, too. He was protecting his friends. Just like the rest of them did. They were helping each-other. I couldn't just leave them to their fate!" Mephisto grinned "I figured as much when I found you trapped in the vortexes." She shot him an annoyed glance. "No need telling me how stupid or reckless that was, I just can't help it, OK? Besides, it is my job to look out for the people in need, for the injured… Gee, forget what I said… I am just babbling now." She shook her head and her expression became the one full of determination.

"I think I should be on my way." the girl looked around and started to get off the bed. "Oh, I don't think so, dear. You did quite a job on yourself, you shouldn't be moving around just yet." Mephisto said, getting a hold of her shoulders. Regardless of how gently he tried to push her back to the bed, the girl flinched at his touch, goosebumps appearing on her skin. He could already feel his gloves steaming. "I am just fine. In case you haven't noticed, my injuries tend to heal a tad faster than usual." she retorted, trying to wiggle her way out of his grip. "I _have_ noticed. However, that does not mean that you are ready to move around. Be a responsible patient and assume a position more befitting your current state." he pushed her back to the pillow. "Oh really? Says who? Look, I appreciate your help, but I really need to get going. I must urgently meet someone, understand?" the chocolate-eyed girl said firmly, throwing her legs over the edge of the bed so she could slip off it.

It was then when she noticed that her feet were bare. Actually, she was not wearing her clothes either. That was understandable, she was in a hospital, after all. However, instead of the standard hospital gown one would usually receive, she was wearing some strange pinkish robe which was obviously too big for her. "Wha… What in the world am I wearing? This is not a hospital gown… what…?" she asked incredulously, looking herself up and down, as she recognized some kind of a yukata with the craziest pattern she had ever seen - anime chibi girls! She looked up, only to see a pleased, smug grin plastered on the demon's stupid face! The face, which was, again, too close for her comfort. That annoying demon was still holding her! She jerked back, pulling the demon with her in the process. She hit the blankets on the bed with her back and Mephisto slumped above her, holding himself up only by his elbows. His hands never left her shoulders. Their eyes met and Thea felt heat rising up in her cheeks. She couldn't even breathe from the strange tension that set over the room. Wait a minute… that was no tension. It was _him_! The demon's aura was more vibrant… And so close! And so strangely… enticing? Somehow, she started to feel comfortable enveloped in his aura, despite it being something akin to a rainless thunderstorm.

Mephisto found himself in quite a suggestive position, indeed. The girl's frame was as small as he remembered, her lips just as pink and moist. Wait a minute… that was no memory. At least not a memory of a real experience. It was the memory of a dream! The one with the popsicle and… The sweet scent of cinnamon mixed with honey hit his nose. At this proximity, it was even more prominent. His mind became clouded and he found himself lost in the beautiful scent. So soothing and exciting at the same time. He inclined his head closer, slowly closing his eyes, his demon aura intertwining with hers, rather than clashing against it. His grip tightened. He wanted more. More of the intoxicating scent, more of the touches, more of… The demon's eyes snapped open as his mind suddenly cleared. He did _not_ just lose his focus!

The demon's strangely serious expression suddenly changed, and a grin spread on his face. He repositioned himself, so that his lips were mere inches from her left ear and whispered. "Now, now, Miss Thea. When I suggested a more appropriate position, I didn't think you would be so… inventive." She gasped, her cheeks burning her own face. She knew it! Of all the ways she could have died from, she would die from embarrassment! "I… Y-you…" the blonde found herself stuttering. "Yes, dear? You and I?" the demon provoked. _"No way! What is wrong with me?! I should be disgusted or maybe terrified, but definitely not_ flustered _!"_ Thea realized with a shock. Strangely, the only thing she could think about was her crazy dream about the day at the amusement park, where they… No! No, no, no! Was she out of her mind?! Was it because of her current state? Great… so now she was weak both in body _and_ mind!

A low chuckle brought her out of the desperate chain of thoughts. "My apologies, Miss Thea. Seems like you are very successful in bringing out my playful demon nature." he said, standing up. "Now then" the demon lord started as he folded the loose halves of her yukata back to their proper place. "Let me cover up some… less pleasant things." he smirked. Thea's cheeks burned. _"What does he mean by that?! Does he mean my cleavage? Oh my god! Was it showing?! No, no, no! Hold on…_ less _pleasant things? So, my chest is not_ pleasant _to look at?! What a jerk to say it out loud! To a patient nonetheless! Wait… why do I even_ care _what that annoying demon thinks?! He shouldn't even be here! Oh man!"_ Mephisto's voice suddenly interrupted the girl's frantic thoughts. "Those blood-stained clothes of yours were definitely not pleasant to look at. As for the gown, I believe that this is a private Academy hospital, so they can afford something more comfortable and… pleasing for their patients to wear." he explained, looking around. "But no worries, it seems that your clothes have been cleaned properly and brought to your room here." he assured the girl, pointing at the shelves where her garments lay. _"Oh my God! I freaked out for nothing! I am such an idiot! Wait… so does that mean that my chest_ was _pleasant to look at? Dammit, I am getting a headache…"_ Thea's internal turmoil continued, until she settled for simple "I see. Uhm… thanks for that." "Oh, do not mention it." he waved a hand nonchalantly.

"Now, I have my suspicion of whom you might want to see at the moment but be a good patient and rest. In the meantime..." he snapped his fingers and something appeared in his hand. "...why don't you give a call to the charming friend of yours? She might be worried." he finished, handing Thea her phone. "You mean Ayami? Why would she be worried?" she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Well, because you haven't shown up home yet." "Yes, but it's not _that_ late." Thea answered looking out of the window. "I will be back still tonight." "Oh, truly? So, you also possess some time traveling skills?" the demon raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? What time travel?" Mephisto leaned closer to the blonde again. "Miss Thea, you have been sleeping for two days." The demon's sensitive ears were not prepared for the upcoming outburst. "Two days?! I thought you've just brought me here!" Thea exclaimed. "I am afraid that your body was in a desperate need of those two days. And, considering the damage you suffered, I am quite impressed that they actually sufficed." he answered honestly, looking at her as if trying to determine her current state.

"Wait a minute. If you brought me here two days ago, then what are you doing here now?" How did she do that? Catching him off guard like this… Again. _"Verdammt, what_ am _I doing here?"_ He faintly remembered the strange restlessness which had kept him from work. Next thing he knew was him standing in the girl's hospital room, organizing his thoughts. Thoughts which, despite his best efforts, seemed to be even more chaotic than before. Well, he would not share that little detail with her. "Oh dear, that is simple. I had to make sure that you didn't become a 'beautiful angel'. Or an angry ghost who would haunt me instead…" the violet-haired demon winked, a smug smile appearing on his face. "What are you… Hey!" The exclaimed as she recognized her own words. "Humph! As you can see, I am neither an angel, nor a ghost for now, so… so there!" she puffed up her cheeks. "Are you sure about that, dear? You _do_ look quite angelic today." he grinned. "Oh, please. Are there really women out there who would buy it? I just battled a demon, then slept for two days, not to mention I desperately need a shower! So sure, I must look charming…" the girl rolled her eyes. "An angry ghost it is, then." Mephisto chuckled. A soft giggle joined him. In a few seconds, the whole room was filled with the girl's and, surprisingly, his laughter…

OoO

"Thea! Thank Goodness, are you all right?" Ayami's concerned voice sounded from the cell phone. "Calm down, Ayami, I am fine. Listen, I am in a hospital right now. Nothing serious, just a little accident... I am so sorry I couldn't call you any sooner. Apparently, I have been sleeping for two days…" Thea tried to soothe her friend without giving away anything specific. "Yeah, I know! I was so worried when I learned you had to stay there for another day! How are you feeling? Are they treating you well? I swear I wanted to come and check on you, but they said you were still sleeping and..." the raven-haired friend continued to shower Thea with questions. "Whoa, whoa, wait! How did you know I was in a hospital? I am just calling you." the blonde asked, confused. "Well, your _boyfriend_ called, of course!" Ayami explained, smugly emphasizing the word 'boyfriend'.

Thea cried in a tiny, high-pitched voice "My _what_?!" She could hear giggles on the other side of the line. "OK, OK, he didn't put it exactly like _that_. How was that… oh right! It was the 'gentleman who you like to spend time with'. You know… the older guy whom we met at the amusement park? You were riding the swing ride together." A wave of embarrassment and disbelief washed over Thea. "What? _He_ called you? Why?! How…" she stuttered while swearing in her head profoundly. _"That_ idiot _! Does he have no sense of privacy?! That stalker! Now he's calling my friends too?! I can't believe this!"_ "Oh, you should be _glad_ he called. A few more hours and I would have called the police!" Ayami berated the blonde. "What? Oh, come on Ayami, I was just…" "But of course! What would you have done, hmm?! You didn't return back to the dorms! I couldn't reach you via phone. I looked everywhere, even in the labs! I was freaked out!"

Thea's eyes widened in shock and a feeling of guilt came crashing down on her. She didn't think of that… Did the demon actually try to _help_ her? Apart from saving her life, checking on her in the hospital… did he also think about her friends and family who would have searched for her? She clutched her hand to her chest, her heart beating fast. What was going on? Could it be that a demon would really hold his word? Help people? That was just… ridiculous! Against their nature! And yet… she couldn't feel any evil intentions from this one… "Thea? Are you there?" a concerned question interrupted Thea's thoughts. "I am sorry, I didn't mean to explode like that. I was just… worried, OK?" Ayami explained. "N-no… you are right. I am the one who should be apologizing. It is... good that he let you know." Thea said more calmly now. "Apology accepted. Now then, what exactly is going on between you and that 'gentleman'?" _"Oh man… this is going to be one exhausting call"_ Thea sighed, covering her face in embarrassment.

OoO

"Abaddon." Mephisto nicked his head towards the redhead demon whose figure was covered by shadows of the hospital wing hallway. Abaddon stepped out into the open. "Sire." he bowed. "I was under the impression that you have been recovering in Gehenna." the Lord of Time stated calmly. "I just came to…" "To make sure that I was not testing you, too?" Mephisto cut him off. "Yes, Sire." Abaddon bit off. "Rest assured, my friend, that it was not my intention to test you. Although I must admit that your skills could use some sharpening, too." he suggested. "Then I shall commit myself to tougher training from now on." "I should hope so. Now, what is it you truly wish to know?" "Sire?" "Oh, spare me the formalities, Abaddon." The demon looked Mephisto in the eyes. "Why did you let her fight? She was a disturbance. She was not in the plan."

"All the more reasons for you to practice your flexibility. Wouldn't you say?" Mephisto mocked, catching the faint sound of Abaddon's gritting teeth. "Never you worry, she fell into that plan perfectly." "Then perhaps you could share such important details with me the next time." the redhead demon retorted. "You will receive all the information you need." "Why do you even want her here at the Academy?" "I want her the same way as any asset I could lay my hands on." Mephisto responded. "Asset? She is a _human_ with some inferior healing powers. I could have annihilated her in mere seconds." "That was _not_ your purpose. And be careful, Abaddon, or that 'human' might very well purify you one day." The chairman's eyebrows narrowed as he fixed the redhead with his gaze. "Surely you wouldn't suggest…" "That was no suggestion. Although I do have this one for you - return immediately and get that shoulder of yours checked properly. Satan's flames are very effective. You are dismissed." Mephisto waved the other demon off and started for his office.

OoO

Abaddon stood in the hallway, anger boiling inside of him. _"That bastard! I knew I would not get a shred of useful information out of him. Damn him!"_ his fists tightened. _"How long do I have to serve that poor excuse of a demon?! I am a Duke; I rule the Abyss! Why do I have to play a babysitter for his brats? How can he stand those weak, pitiful creatures?! Tsk… First the Satan's offspring, and now that human wench!"_ he spat. _"He sent me to fight her even though he knew very well that she was able to destroy my vortexes! Arrogant, scheming bastard! I will repay you tenfold for that missing piece of information! If I had known she would be able to do that, I would have prepared! And_ her _... decades of harvesting souls and my own energy to create one vortex! All gone!"_

His eyes started gleaming, crimson color filling them completely. _"She would purify me, would she now? Oh please, I wouldn't even need to use my orbs."_ the Lord of the Abyss reached for the door leading to Thea's hospital room. _"You are going to pay for this, you filthy bitch! No one destroys my vortex and walks away to tell the story!"_ an evil grin reached his face as he cast the spell. Suddenly, a great purple clock circle appeared on the surface of the door, and Abaddon's spell fell apart. _"Don't tell me... That clown put up a barrier for her?! Screw him! You will pay for denying me this satisfaction, Samael!"_ the demon raged inside. This was unacceptable! The wench had to pay! Unfortunately, there was no way for him to break through a barrier cast by a demon lord. What now? There must have been something he could do! Something that would work! His mind was racing until it stopped at a certain thought. The demon cut a wicked smile _. "All right then… A few nightmares would be enough of a compensation for the vortex. For now…"_ the demon created a mental image of a particularly nasty nightmare and invaded the girl's mind, planting it in her subconsciousness. He then turned to leave. Everything had it's time. Patience…

OoO

The Lord of Time grinned viciously - his barrier held in place. That fool Abaddon. Did he really think he could just walk in and do as he pleased? This was _his_ playground. _His_ show. Still, he would need to keep a closer eye on the Duke of the Abyss. Abaddon had been growing inpatient of serving him recently. No wonder, it was his punishment, after all. Abaddon, or Apollyon, the name he went by, had been responsible for quite a turmoil in Gehenna when he had tried to claim the territories of other, lesser dukes. Only a few of his rank would be oblivious enough to attempt such foolishness. Even Gehenna, despite the apparent chaos, was bound by some rules.

At first, Leviathan had wanted him punished by keeping him at the brink of drowning in his dark waters for a couple decades. Just darkness and the endless feeling of one's lungs being filled with water, neither able to take a breath, nor finally being allowed the mercy of suffocating… Well, Mephisto argued for a more suitable punishment. Or rather, a punishment more suitable for _him_. And thus, the great Abaddon had ended up as Mephisto's lackey, and had been training and empowering those lowly, filthy, disgusting creatures he always despised so much. Oh yes, no amount of Leviathan's torture would have reached this level of humiliation Abaddon had been suffering at the Academy more than he would have in Leviathan's hands. Simply brilliant! Still, he'd rather have Abaddon get used to it and do something useful for a change. Well, Mephisto would just have to wait. Everything had it's time. Patience...

OoO

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**Disclaimer:** Blue Exorcists belongs to Kazue Katō. Please, do not re-post or publish my story without my consent.

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**Author's note:** Hi everyone! New chapter is out ^^ My current lame excuse for the slight delay is the fact, that my dear beta-reader, a.k.a husband, had a very busy week and managed to go through my writings only yesterday :D. Still, I am really happy that he did so! As always - this is my first FF-writing attempt, so I would really appreciate your feedback :)


	7. A chairman and a German

Thea hoped to feel a little better after another day spent in the hospital wing. Oh, her injuries were gone, but she felt quite tired. Well, she was at least grateful for those two days of undisturbed, dreamless sleep, because terrible nightmares were haunting her last night. Strange, she rarely had any nightmares. And now - after waking up from the one with crimson vortexes sucking out her life and the life of all her dear friends, she felt as drained as if it had really happened. It just felt so real! Beads of sweat were rolling down her body and she had to go through a few breathing exercises to stop herself from shaking. Funny, she always thought that she would be using those anxiety-reducing techniques on patients, not on herself. She should probably re-watch the seminar videos to this topic…

Fortunately, she was able to take her mind off the nightmares. For starters, she found some lilies and a plate of cinnamon rolls on the nightstand next to her bed in the morning. _"Well, a private academy hospital wing sure is something!"_ the blonde thought, completely delighted, as she was munching on the sweets, unknowingly enjoying the little tokens of attention delivered by a certain demon. Just after she had eaten, Ayami came to visit her and brought some necessities and fresh clothes for her to change into. When Thea asked her about how she was able to get into the hospital, not to mention to visit her outside of visiting hours, her eyes twinkled, and a smug smile was plastered on her face. "Well, that 'gentleman' of yours said I can come and go as I please. He said that the hospital staff knows about it and will let me in." Thea's eyes almost popped out. _"And you just_ believed _him?! Oh my God, he had to put those poor people under some spell or something."_ the blonde cried inwardly, while Ayami continued. "How did he put it again? Ah, right - 'Anything to make the lady feel better.'" Thea's hand found her forehead with a loud slap. _"He's going to completely ruin me."_ the chocolate-brown-eyed girl sulked, but couldn't keep the blush out of her face, so she hid under the bed sheets to cover her embarrassment.

Ayami giggled. "I knew it! You _do_ like him! So, what exactly is going on between the two of you? And how come you didn't tell your best friend, hmm?!" she shot Thea an accusing glance. "I am telling you, there is absolutely nothing to tell! Can we please change the subject? What about the … the seminars I missed? Could you share your notes with me later?" Thea asked nervously, desperately trying to avoid the topic. "Booo! Later. I am not sharing my seminar notes with you unless you talk! So, where did you guys meet?" Ayami asked eagerly. "I… uh… We met one night in a… a dark alley… I… I mean, in Wadakura Fountain Park!" Thea scratched her head. Better to give Ayami at least something so that she would let her be. "Ooooh, that place is so romantic!" Ayami squeaked. "Yeah, … magical." Thea rolled her eyes. "So how come you met again? Did you give him your number? Did you go to another date? Did you kiss? Oooooh, or have you already…" Thea outstretched her palm and clasped it over the mouth of her raven-haired friend. She would _not_ let her finish _that_ sentence!

For someone so practical and collected, Ayami was like a tsunami when it came to relationships. Her best friend simply couldn't grasp the fact that Thea was single, and so, any man in her life was a clear sign for Ayami to get involved. "No, no, no! Stop right there, OK?!" Thea exhaled. "He… sort of… told me to… to call him if I ever wanted to see him again." she stuttered. "Aaaa, so you called him when we were in the amusement park?" "No! I mean, we only bumped into each other accidentally. Although he might just have been stalking me..." Suddenly, something started beeping. Ayami gasped. "Ah, sorry for that, but I need to be in labs shortly. I only had about fifteen minutes for you today, sorryyyy." she said, looking at her phone. "So, give me a call when you are discharged, OK? And don't think you got away with those poor scraps of a story. You have yet to tell me about how he took care of you when you fainted! Although, now that I think about it, you probably won't remember, right?" Ayami started laughing, while Thea sat in her bed completely frozen. "No worries, I have the recipe for your anemia pills, so I am going to pick it up for you. Bye!" Thea felt the heat reaching her face again. "I did _what_?! And _he_ did _what_?! Just… _what_?!"

OoO

In the afternoon, Thea decided that it was the right time to visit Mr. Faust, the headmaster of the True Cross Academy. She had been trying to prepare some nice introduction in her head, but failed miserably every time, because her mind was preoccupied by stray thoughts. Mostly about the recent events. And people she met. And the not-people. Half-demons. And demons. OK, and one particular demon… She always knew demons as despicable creatures who represented all the wrongness in the world. All those negative traits in existence, only materialized - in so many forms and wicked ways! She honestly didn't know if she should pity them or hate them. What she knew though was not to trust them. To keep as far away from them as possible. That was the one truth she was certain of. That was what kept her out of trouble, even though 'the trouble' seemed to find its way to her more often than she would like to admit...

And now, after all those years, she witnessed one of their kind fighting in some strange alliance with humans against another demon. And as crazy as it sounded, the girl in the pink skirt actually called him a friend! They even seemed to be concerned for him. Just as did he. Was it because he was only a _half_ -demon? Could the human part somehow win over the rest? She couldn't tell, because there was also a certain _full_ -demon who came to her rescue. Exactly as promised! Not to mention that the very same demon bothered to come check on her in the hospital. It just sounded so ridiculous! And what was the most surprising, ground-breaking discovery for the little blonde? She actually _enjoyed_ the time spent with him! Even though he annoyed and teased her to the point of losing it. Even though she just _knew_ he had some weird schemes put in place! Otherwise, why in the world would he do something like that? Surely it wasn't out of concern. After all, could a demon even feel such an emotion?

_"_ _But he saved my life!"_ Thea reasoned. _"Have I become so distrustful that I cannot even show my gratitude to the one who helped me - be it a demon? One who is offering me the chance to understand my powers? Well… no wonder it's so difficult to trust him, I have never met a decent demon. They are all bad! Their whole race seeks to destroy anything beautiful and good in this world. Of course, I would despise creatures like them!"_ Suddenly, the blonde gasped, contemplating on her thoughts. _"Wait a minute… the whole race? That sounded awfully like… like_ racism _! Is that even possible? To be racist towards demons?!"_ She clutched a hand towards her chest and bit her lip. For some reason, she felt just… awful. Like a really bad, prejudiced person. What happened to her?! She knew… too many unpleasant memories. Memories of people plagued by those dust-like, life-sucking creatures. Of people driven to madness. Possessed people. And so, she acted based on her experience - which was basically one disaster after another. _"After all, it is the demon's nature, right? To be bad, vicious, treacherous… Or is it perhaps, that some of them, the stronger ones, or maybe the intelligent ones, could overcome their instincts? To fight their demon nature?"_ She wondered. She had never met anybody like that. Until now...

Now… where would she draw the line? Were half-demons still fine, just because they were half-humans too? And what about grudging ghosts who sometimes haunted people? Those had once been people too… And… wasn't it just the same with humans? Some you could trust and some simply not. _"Come on, Thea, you are better than this!"_ she clenched her hands into fists. She had to admit that she needed to change her perspective. Not to the point that she would let her guard down, of course. One mistake could cost her life! But maybe just... a little... Just enough to give them the opportunity to prove themselves, to _gain_ her trust. To get to know them as individuals. After all, it was the actions, not the origin that should decide the question of one's trustworthiness. Right!

_"_ _Well then, that's settled. No more pondering now, you've got things to take care of!"_ Thea reminded herself. She was on her way through corridors filled with increasingly rich decorations, clutching the map she had been given on her first day there. Finally, she got to the right place. Huge wooden door was all that separated her from one of a lifetime chances to get hold of her abilities. An unpleasant feeling of uneasiness settled in her stomach. She had to admit that she was indeed nervous. She couldn't do this… If only she could be half as collected as Ayami during the exam period. She always looked like nothing in the world could set her off if she decided to do something! Thea looked at her cell phone. She still had about five minutes before the headmaster's office hours started. She tried to go through the prepared explanation for all what had happened, but no matter how often she rehearsed it in her head, it sounded far from the resume of a promising student that would be considered a welcomed asset. Thea's head slumped and she covered it with the map she had been holding. She was just so nervous! Suddenly, she could hear footsteps - somebody was approaching from the opposite side of the long corridor.

"Well, well, well - if it isn't my disobedient patient!" a familiar sonorous voice echoed through the hall, as a tall figure clad in white suit with a cloak appeared from the shadows. "Thea, dear, what are you doing here? You should be resting." Thea's eyes almost popped out. "Sir Pheles?!" she cried out, then quickly moderated her tone to a whisper. "What are _you_ doing here?!" she dug her fingers into her hair in frustration, and even though she longed to give the annoying demon a word about that crazy story he had told Ayami, she reminded herself about priorities. She started looking around nervously. Then she quickly closed the gap between them, put a hand over her mouth and started whispering. "This place is swarming with people with holy spiritual powers! I know it, I can feel them all around. It's dangerous! What if anyone sees you?! Hey, are you even listening?" she pulled on his sleeve reluctantly to get his attention.

Mephisto had to cover his mouth in order to stop the outburst of laughter. _"So that's all the whispering about. Pfff… dangerous she says…''_ the demon lord grinned inwardly. The concerned look on her cute face almost annulled the fact that she was concerned for his safety. Mephisto took the girls hand into his and leaned in closer, so that he could whisper into her ear. "Your concern is touching, but also misplaced, I am afraid. As one who has the ability to see the extent of my power, you should be able to tell." "W-what are you talking about?" she squealed, pulling both her head and hand away. "Of course, I am not concerned for you! I am talking about those people! What if they somehow feel your demonic energy and then rush up here to fight you?! You would probably just snap your fingers and be done with it, but I refuse to get into another fight right now, OK? I've got some important things to take care of, so please, please, not today!" Thea pleaded with the demon. _"I'll be damned, how is she doing this? Catching me off guard again!"_ The Lord of Time berated himself internally for allowing himself to jump to conclusions with this girl. Strange… just a second ago, he felt a tad offended that the girl would show concern for him. Now he somehow… felt sorry that she didn't. _"Oh, I can't very well blame her. After all, who in their right mind would be concerned for the second in line most powerful demon being?"_ he tried to reason despite the strange pang pulling at his chest. Nevertheless, this conversation looked _very_ promising!

"Oh, and what would be so important that you would want me on my best behavior?" he stroked his beard. "I… well... ah, OK, I came to see Mr. Faust. The headmaster. You know, as you… as you advised." the blonde blushed, scratching her head. _"Oh boy, I am going to enjoy this, indeed!"_ the demon's eyes sparked with anticipation and amusement, which made that annoying pang _almost_ disappear. Almost. "Ah, right you are! Let us go, then, shall we?" he flashed his cloak flamboyantly, walked over to the huge door and put a hand on it. Not on the knob, but rather on the wooden surface, right below the elaborately engraved name of _J. Faust_. "W-what are you doing?!" Thea cried in a tiny voice, still trying to keep her voice as quiet as possible. Mephisto's aura flashed for a brief moment and a shining, violet clock circle appeared on the door. "Right after you, dear." he bowed nonchalantly, taking off his hat and pushing the door open for the girl.

_"_ _What is that stupid demon doing?! He's going to kill us both! No, no, no!"_ Thea panicked and had to resist the urge to hide behind the demon, so she hid behind the map instead. "Miss Thea? Searching for anything?" Mephisto inquired when he saw the girl's poor attempt to hide herself. Thea's face got red all over. _"Yeah, my courage! Gosh, what am I - a high schooler in front of the teacher's office?! 'I knock and you talk?' So embarrassing! Not to mention in front of that demon!"_ Thea scolded herself and then shot the demon an annoyed look, whispering. "Gee, where are your manners, you 'gentleman'?!" Before Mephisto could say anything to that remark, she drew a deep breath and knocked on the door to save the situation. "Hello? Mr. Faust? I am very sorry to barge in like that..." she took a peek into the office and trailed off. "It's empty." she whispered, taking a few shy steps inside. The room was so spacious! Every piece of furniture shouted with wealth, but also purpose. Books were stacked everywhere, not just in the beautiful library which was lining the walls on her right and left. She loved books! However, what struck her the most were the huge tall windows, towering behind the prominent carved desk. The whole room basked in sunlight. "Beautiful!" the girl exhaled in delight. Mephisto smirked. He felt strangely flattered by her appreciation, for he had put a lot of thought and personal touch to his office. "I like it, too." the demon smiled and calmly strode towards the headmaster's desk.

"Hey, wait! Where are you going?! We can't be here!" she tip-toed after the demon. Mephisto took his sweet time and eased himself into his comfortable, cushioned chair. "Oh, I believe I can be wherever I want to." he leaned his head on his right hand. "Yes, I know you can! So why does it have to be here?! I am sure there are plenty of other places which are a thousand times more fun!" The demon lips curved into a wide grin. "In this exact moment? No, I most certainly doubt that..." The girl looked more desperate and anxious by every second. Dear Lord, he was loving this! "Look, this is really, really important to me. The fact that, on my first day here, I had already been involved in a fight, does not exactly make a good first impression, OK?" The blonde assumed a pleading voice and somehow managed to combine it with perfect puppy eyes. He _almost_ gave in. Almost…

"Oh, I beg to differ, dear." the demon flung his legs on the table and started rocking in his chair, his fingers intertwined. "Besides, you can always offer an explanation, tell your part of the story." "Explanation? Explanation?!" the blonde somehow managed to shout in a whisper. "And just how do you suggest I explain all of that? ~Nice to meet you, Sir Headmaster. I am Thea. You know, the one who bypassed your security in order to join a bloody fight between two super strong demons? Several people were hurt. Did I mention the pile of debris blocking the foyer in the training area No. 5? Also, I had to summon another, even stronger demon in order to get everybody out of there alive. Hope that it turned out well. I have it all a little blurred in my head, because I have been sleeping in your private hospital wing for the last few days. Great service, by the way, I loved the cinnamon rolls! Where was I again? Oh yes, so how about you grant me the permission to join your noble Academy? ~" Thea threw up her hands, her cheeks red.

The demon's sonorous laugh filled the room and left the blonde completely speechless. _"That girl… she's a pure gem, that's what she is! Every time she's around, things just get way out of the ordinary."_ Mephisto finally calmed down to occasional chuckles, then meaningfully stood up behind his desk. "Granted!" he smiled, his fangs flashing. "W-what are you talking about?" she stuttered, her brows furrowed. "You have the permission to study at my Academy, Miss Thea." he held her gaze - the girl's dumbfounded confused expression was simply priceless! Oh yes, the waiting was worth it! " _Your_ Academy? What… why… wait! Y-you mean to tell me… _You're_ the headmaster?!" she laughed. "That's correct, my dear." "No…." she said with a nervous smile, doubt entering her voice. "Yes." Mephisto continued cheerfully. "Nooo…" the girl continued, her smile slowly retreating. The demon stepped out from behind his desk. "Yes." "Nooo….!" the blonde's shoulders slumped; the smile completely replaced by sheer frustration. The demon leaned towards Thea, whispering. "Oh, yes." his grin widened.

"B-but… You can't honestly think… I mean… You _do_ hear the irony, don't you? A demon leading an academy for exorcists?" she managed to say. "I _do_ , and I relish it all the more for it." a spark of amusement flickered in his forest-green eyes. "And they _know_?!" Thea exclaimed, gaping at him. The demon put his hand on his chest in a fake gesture of someone affronted. "Miss Thea, you hurt me! Surely you do not believe that I would lead an organization of exorcists who couldn't even tell a demon from other entities!" he shook his head. "I… I give up." Thea buried her face into her hands. This was too much. The last weeks were probably the craziest in her entire life and all of the events just came crashing down on her. All the confusion, restlessness, anxiety, the feeling of being overwhelmed… All of that passed and left her in a state of strange... acceptance. It seemed that the only thing that felt normal in her life was the presence of so many abnormalities. So be it!

She chuckled. "I give up! I mean… why not? If some democratic countries can be led by mafia, then sure... why couldn't a demon run the organization of exorcists?" she spread her hands. "See? The irony gives it all the spark! Although I would greatly appreciate it if you didn't put me on the same scale with those... _individuals_." he said, a hint of irritation entering his voice. The girl had a point, but surely he was on a different level entirely! "Oh, my apologies. Perhaps you would prefer to be put on scale with that western 'evangelist', who somehow managed to fool millions of people into tithing his luxurious life? Geez, I do not even need to see his aura in order to tell that he's a demon! Greedy bastard..." Mephisto stroked his beard in thought, until he connected the dots. "Ah yes, Mammon!" Mephisto's face contorted into the one of disgust and disappointment. "That fool is becoming too obvious... I would need to do something about him soon…" the demon trailed off, but the girl's chuckle brought him back from his musings.

"Tsk… I knew it! Of course, he's a demon. And of course, you know him… What's next? The strange half-demon teenager with blue flames is your favourite pupil?" the blonde smirked sardonically. Mephisto couldn't ask for more. _"Oh, Fräulein, you are nailing it! We should have met a long,_ long _ago!"_ "Actually..." the Lord of Time started, only to be interrupted by loud banging on his door. "Oy! Mephisto! Open up! I know you are there! You hear me?! We need to talk!" Mephisto grinned inwardly as he recognized who exactly stood behind the door. The timing was simply perfect recently! And it couldn't have happened better if he had tried to arrange it so! "... please, excuse me for a while." the demon strode towards the door. "I won't move away from here! I know you are in there! I can hear you! Mephisto! Open up!" the voice demanded. Mephisto opened the door and turned towards Thea. "This is Rin, one of the Exwires - exorcists in training, and, yes, I would say one of my favourite pupils."

"You?!" Rin and Thea exclaimed at the same time. The half-demon immediately ran towards the girl, and before Thea could process what was happening, he threw her arms around her. "Thank you for saving my friends! First, I was really pissed when you kicked me off like that, but turns out you actually saved me, too! Thanks a big time! I… ouch, ouch!" Rin winced in pain as his hands started burning and clothes charring. He panicked and his aura flared around instinctively. In a second, he found himself being pulled by his ear away from the girl. "Hey, would you stop that?!" Rin threatened with a fist. "It looks like I would need to add lessons about private space to your training, Rin." The Lord of Time grinned dangerously, flying daggers at poor Rin. _"Always so reckless! The whole set of exercises gone to waste! Not to mention touching her so casually…"_ Mephisto rumbled in irritation. Rin looked at the blonde and realized that he must have scared her, for her eyes were wide. She held her hands in front of her, one on her chest and the other up on her neck. She was breathing really fast. Rin gave himself a mental slap. _"Stupid! Stupid! Way to say your thanks!"_ the half-demon cried inwardly.

"Sorry!" both Rin and Thea said at the same time, again, but Rin was the first to continue. "Anyways… I mean what I said. Thanks a lot, and if you ever need my help, you can count on me!" he pointed his thumb at his person, and grinned. The girl in front of him gaped, but then shook her head and said. "Yeah… sure… why not…" Rin scratched his head - was she OK? Anyway, that was not what he came for. The half-demon focused his gaze on the clown in front of him. "Oy, Mephisto! I want my sword back! Now!" "I am afraid, I cannot do that just yet." Mephisto stated in a calm, but also strangely cold voice. "Why the hell no?! I finished all the exercises Shura gave me! I must have lit a million friggin' candles already! And I..." he exploded, but Mephisto cut in. "True, you _did_ pass your training, but you _failed_ your test." "What are you talking about?" Rin demanded.

Mephisto outstretched his hand towards the girl. "Miss Thea, if you please." he looked at the blonde, as if expecting something to happen. "That's not necessary. It was my fault… I panicked… A-and his clothes are charred too!" she started explaining, but Mephisto shot her one of his best commanding looks. "Fine…" The girl gritted out and put her hands away from her throat reluctantly. Rin suddenly realized that parts of the girl's clothes were burnt. Not to mention the red circle around her neck where he was holding her. "Oh crap!" the half-demon gave himself a mental punch, for the slap was obviously not enough! "I didn't mean to… I..." He instantly calmed himself and bowed. "I am very sorry." "Me too." Thea said. Mephisto stepped in nonchalantly, clasping his hands. "Splendid. Now when this little misshapen is sorted out, I hope you both get the idea of why it is necessary to learn to control your powers properly, correct?" The blonde nodded, completely red with shame. The half-demon's face suddenly became red as well. He turned towards Mephisto and shot him an annoyed look. "Tsk… fine, hold onto my sword a little longer. I will be back for it soon..." "I should hope so." Rin put his hands into pockets and walked away, closing the door behind him so silently as never before.

Mephisto sighed. "Please, excuse him. Rin can be a little hot-headed, but he is pushing himself hard to tame his powers. I believe you can relate to that, correct?" he approached, looking Thea in the eyes. The girl nodded reluctantly, fully realizing that had it not been for her outburst, none of this would have happened. "It's my fault. But… I guess that's why I am here, huh?" she smiled nervously. She then put her hand back to her throat and the burnt area disappeared in a translucent golden light. "Indeed.'' The demon was looking at the girl with a strange intensity in his beautiful forest-green eyes. _"His face is so close again!"_ Thea gulped, as a familiar tension settled over the room. _"Wait… just 'so' close? Not 'too' close anymore? This is bad. Where has all my carefulness gone?!"_ The demon suddenly cleared his throat. "Allow me…" Mephisto unpinned his cloak and started to put it over the girl's shoulders. "W-wait, what are you doing? I don't need…" Thea protested, until she noticed exactly how much of her shirt was damaged. _"Oh crap! Don't tell me that I have been standing here like this! Was my bra showing?! No, no, no! Why do I always embarrass myself like this?! And in front of_ him _, too!"_ a wave of humiliation washed over the blonde and she quickly clutched the snow-white cloak towards her body, and squeezed her eyes shut.

The Lord of Time could see the girl's embarrassment and a hint of amusement twinkled in his eyes. _"How interesting… in situations like these, she seems to think of me more as of a man, rather than a demon."_ Well, Mephisto wasn't the type who would lie to himself - she too struck him as a beautiful, charming woman. Not that he hadn't been involved with his fair share of females during his long life. Or other attractive... creatures, that is. However, he had to admit that this petite little blonde, who was now cutely covering in his cloak, sure was… _unique_. He tilted her head by raising her chin with his finger, while burying his left hand into her golden locks. Her eyes snapped open. She flinched, but he didn't allow her to step away. "S-Sir Pheles?" the girl asked with a soft voice, which, to Mephisto's sensitive ears, sounded dangerously close to husky. All right, _that_ voice in combination with her slightly parted lips was a definite turn on. Not to mention that intoxicating scent of honey and cinnamon. His sense was battling his desire. _"Hold her closer. - I can't! - Kiss her… - That is out of question. I will not put my plans to jeopardy. Not when I finally managed to get her onboard. - Take her!"_ Mephisto snapped out of it before he could do something he would regret. He couldn't afford any foolishness at the moment. And so, he fished out the pocket square from his suit and gently rubbed her cheek with it. "Your cheeks… they are a little smudged from all that charring. Just… hold still, dear." he slowly traced the blackish spots on her face. _"The girl was right. It really is dangerous in here…"_

Thea was stunned. She felt as if she had been standing there helplessly, completely at the demon's mercy. Why did he always have to touch her so casually? And why, oh, why, did it feel so gorgeous?! She couldn't believe that she actually found the demon's actions… pleasant. His touch was so gentle, and while he seemed occupied with the smudges, she found herself looking, no, not looking, _gazing_ at his handsome face. _"What in the world is wrong with me?! I couldn't possibly be enjoying this!"_ Thea thought incredulously. She then remembered her chat with Ayami… _"So, what exactly is going on between the two of you?"_ The blonde didn't know. _"Whatever this is, it is dangerous! - Intriguing. - No, it's crazy! - Exciting. - It's lunatic! Madness! - It's magical. Ardent."_ Her sane self didn't seem to be winning that fight. Her heart was beating so fast, she feared it might just burst out from her chest. The demon slowly leaned closer. She couldn't possibly… She had to do something! "H-hey, listen. What did he call you again? The boy, Rin. I am sure it was far from 'Sir Pheles'." she asked awkwardly. _"That was a close one."_ she exhaled, as the demon's expression got back to his trademark smirk.

_"_ _That was a close one."_ Mephisto exhaled, as the girl interrupted his actions. "Ah, right you are." he stepped away from her slowly, reluctantly. "Please allow me to introduce myself properly, now that you are our official member..." The King of Time spread his arms theatrically. "I am Mephisto Pheles, the chairman of The True Cross Academy. Although I go by the name Johann Faust V, for some very understandable reasons." he finished with a wink. Thea's eyes widened at the demon's latest statement. She quickly reached for her pocket and checked the business card given to her. Something suddenly clicked in. "Don't tell me… like the one from the German play? _That_ Mephistopheles?!" Thea gaped. "How flattering that you would be familiar with that piece." Mephisto clasped his hands. The blonde's demeanor changed suddenly as a knowing smile appeared on her lips. "Allwissend bin ich nicht…" "...doch viel ist dir bewusst." the Lord of Time finished, completely delighted as Thea quoted the piece. In German, at that! _"Oh yes, 'she is not omniscient, but she sure knows a lot!'"_ he thought, translating that part into English. _"And sometimes, perhaps a little too much..."_ Mephisto mused. "It is truly a pleasure to meet you officially." the demon offered her a hand. Thea shook it firmly, looking the headmaster in the eyes. "Althea Heilbrunn. Ehm... student of medicine." "Ah, so you are German, then?" he inquired, his interest rising. "Yeah, although it has been some time since I have spoken German…" "Then I shall take it upon myself to refresh your memory from time to time." he offered. "That sounds… wunderbar." she smiled, her eyes twinkling.

OoO

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**Disclaimer:** Blue Exorcists belongs to Kazue Katō. Please, do not re-post or publish my story without my consent.

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**Author's note:** Hi everyone ^^ Next chapter is finally out! I had a lot of fun writing it, because I was really looking forward to revealing Mephisto's true identity :D Poor Thea... Has it ever happened to you that you met someone and then got to know that very same person under completely different circumstances?

Anyway - this is my first FF-writing attempt, so I would really appreciate your feedback :)


	8. A beetroot, a bee and a root

"Thea, wait!" Ayami called after her friend, who dashed past the small kitchenette, trying to avoid her notice. "You forgot to drink your beetroot juice. _Again._ " she pinned the blonde with a firm stare. "Ooooh, come on Ayami! I have already taken the pills. That is just enough to…" Thea tried to argue, but Ayami cut in. "...just enough to get your blood cell count back to a reasonable level. Yes, I have already heard that one. _However_ , you need some natural vitamin boost, too." "No way I am drinking that disgusting stuff again! Why can't it be strawberry or blueberry juice?" Thea whined, pointing at the glass of dark, red-pinkish liquid. "Because beetroot has a lot more iron and vitamin C. Gee, Thea, you are going to be a doctor! You should know the basics if you want your patients to recover quickly." Ayami tried to appeal on Thea's professional self. "Well, that won't help you a bit if your patients won't even drink it!" she stuck out her tongue. Ayami exhaled. "Fine..." Thea gaped at her. "W-what? Really? You just… let me off?" Ayami smirked, lifting her index finger. "Just this once… I'll let it slip. Now come on, let's pack up, the lesson will start soon."

Ayami just wanted her friend to get better soon. Maybe she was pushing too much. She wouldn't like to drink that mud-tasting slop either, she only pretended it was tasty to get Thea drink it. _"Seriously… who's acting like an idiot now?"_ the raven-haired girl shook her head. _"I only let her get away with it, because she seems to be under a lot of pressure lately. She doesn't even sleep properly. Strange, Thea didn't use to have any nightmares… And now, three nights in a row, she's either not yet asleep or already long awake."_ Ayami couldn't help but feel a little concerned. Her best friend was something like a little sister to her. Only her real little sister was less troublesome. She could see Thea running from one room to another, fetching notebooks. Then, she could hear the blonde tripping, dropping something in the process and cursing some piece of cloth left on the ground. Ayami massaged her temples. _"Oh boy, Thea is just… such an odd girl. Her head is too often in the clouds, and her body too often on the ground. When she isn't falling at the moment, then some other things are falling from her hands or even_ on _her! Gee, regularly showing up with scratches, bumps or other minor wounds."_ Ayami had to remind herself that she indeed _saw_ those injuries, because they always seemed to have disappeared within a day or two.

The blue-eyed med-student smirked. _"OK, Thea_ is _a klutz, but at least a very_ durable _one. And despite all of that, she's probably the kindest and brightest person I have ever met. So, how on Earth is she still single? Is it because things didn't work out with her first boyfriend? But that was still when she was in high school! Well, whatever the reason, things seem to be taking a different turn now!"_ Ayami thought enthusiastically, as she remembered the self-proclaimed 'gentleman' fellow in white suit. _"Right, maybe he is a little… strange. Even kind of old-fashioned in that suit. Probably because he is older too, but surely not older than thirty or so."_ she tapped a finger on her lips. _"Still, I have never seen anybody looking at Thea with such interest! Not to mention he took such good care of her when she needed it. When he called to inform me about Thea's little accident, his words were so caring and thoughtful… OK, his tone had a bit of jest in it, but at least he wasn't panicked or anything. Level-headed, collected! Now,_ that _would be a man for Thea - The Daydreamer!"_ the girl couldn't help, but giggle. She looked at the untouched glass of beetroot juice on the table. _"That's right, it was also him, who, just offhandedly, suggested that beetroot juice when I was on my way to pick up the anemia pills... Oh, I have to make sure that Thea gives him a chance!"_ Ayami concluded. Her blonde friend tended to shy away from most men and often rejected them before they managed to invite her to a date. _"Well, not this time!"_ Ayami's blue eyes shone with resolve.

OoO

Thea was walking through one of the long corridors of the True Cross Academy after her Saturday morning lesson. She wanted to make it home in time so she could hit the books with Ayami before the test in anesthesiology on Monday. _"Man, anesthesiology must be the most boring subject ever! Or simply just true to its name. The lesson in trapping demonic creatures in a special binding circle, on the other hand… Now,_ that _is something useful! I can't wait to practice that circle a little more!"_ Thea's eyes sparkled, as she remembered how the teacher, Mr. Yukio Okumura, swiftly summoned the circle with a set of gestures and special incantations. She shook her head. _"That Yukio sure is a class! He is such a talented and focused person. And to think that he became a teacher at such a young age… Simply admirable! Still, it will take some time till I get used to calling him 'teacher'. I mean, seriously… it's just so awkward. He is younger than me! He must be around sixteen. Gosh, he isn't even allowed to drive yet!"_ the blonde just chuckled. After all, it wasn't the most extraordinary discovery since her short time at the Academy. _"That's right, my classmates are far from ordinary, too… So young and already so skilled! Some of them even grew up surrounded by people with spiritual powers and were supported and guided in order to perfect their own powers. Man, I actually feel ashamed to have to catch up to a bunch of teenagers. But then, that's life…"_ the chocolate-eyed girl sighed, then she raised her head in resolve. " _Oh well, I will just need to work a little harder, that's all! Besides, they did have a head start. For now, let's just be thankful for meeting people, who actually understand your life, Thea! A life, where seeing demons or spirits is a daily routine. Nobody would call me a freak or think that I have some kind of a mental illness. Not here. They know. They understand. They live this life too."_ she nodded to herself.

The blonde was unusually spirited. This was the first time in her life she felt like she finally found the right place for her to train and learn more about her powers. She almost couldn't believe it. _"It's just all so very_ different _from my previous experience with mediums and healers. Something about the way the teachers here approach the whole subject of exorcism feels… professional. Moreover, these people are not merely self-taught, much as myself, but rather_ trained _. They are the experts in their fields, and even specialize in various techniques, from incantations to actual summoning of familiars!"_ she counted out, the faces of her new teachers appearing in her mind. _"Oh, why did it take me so long to find this place?! Well, never mind. I_ did _find it and that is that! I couldn't ask for more..."_ The blonde sighed with content. Then she had to rub her eyes to fight the strange tiredness she had been experiencing the last days. _"OK, maybe I could use a little sleep. Seriously… what is wrong with me? Is it the stress? Or perhaps the tight schedule?"_ Thea wondered. Her schedule was, indeed, very tight. Most of the exorcist classes had to take place in the evenings or at weekends, because Exwires had to attend a regular school, too. Which was great, of course, because she could visit the lessons, but it was also insanely time-consuming. _"Oh well, I will manage somehow. I always do. It's all about good planning, really."_ The girl yawned. _"It's been too long without a proper sleep, and that is something coming from a med-student."_ she stretched her back. _"I bet that the only reason I am still standing and functioning quite normally is the fact that my body simply heals faster than that of normal people… How convenient."_ she smiled.

Abruptly, energic steps echoed through the corridor and a loud voice interrupted her musings. "Hey! Wait! Thea!" Rin, the fellow with a magic katana sword attached at his back, was rushing towards her. She smiled at him. Since the last 'burning incident' in the headmaster's office, they have worked things out between themselves, and even though she was still being cautious around him, she had to admit that Rin truly did his best to prove himself to her. "What is it, Rin?" she asked, inclining her head. "Thea, I… uhm… I wanted to talk to you about something." he scratched his head nervously. "About what?" "Well, you see, I wanted to thank you for helping us." Rin said earnestly. "Rin, we have already talked about this. And I have already told you _all_ before, during our first class, that..." "That's not what I meant." her classmate interrupted her; gaze fixed on the floor. "You helped _me_. Even though I am, well…" he trailed off. "A half-demon? Yeah, that was quite... surprising. For a moment there, I did hesitate, because, well, your aura is… ufff…." Thea struggled to find the right words for it, without making Rin uncomfortable. "Scary, right?" the half-demon finished for her. "Well, yes. But! You explained it all. And the others too. You used your powers to _help_ your friends, to _protect_ them all. So, what I am trying to say is, what does it matter what you are as long as you are a good… ehm... person?" the chocolate-eyed girl smiled. "Even though I am the Son of Satan?" he asked silently.

Thea's breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened in astonishment. "You are a _what_?" she gaped at him. Rin continued, looking her straight in the eyes. "I wanted you to know from the start. Honest!" he put his hand on his chest. "I just didn't know how to put it… I mean, no worries! All the others already know. You see, when I first came here, I kept it a secret before them, but then… then they had to learn it… well… the hard way. A-and it was really difficult, but we are good now." he exhaled, gesturing awkwardly. "What I'm trying to say is, I kind of didn't want to make the same mistake again, OK?" the half-demon admitted. "You will be studying with us, so I wanted you to know. A-and also in case you would like to… uhm… change your mind. About studying here, I mean..." he finished nervously, looking at her in expectation.

"Wow." the blonde gulped, trying to process yet another crazy revelation of the month. _"Honestly, I should start a ladder... I mean, I do remember Rin mentioning it right in our first class... That he is training to become a Paladin, the highest-ranking one of all exorcists, in order to 'kick Satan's ass'. OK, more like he yelled it out aloud, so Yukio had to scold him for his outburst. However, to think that he is actually the_ Son _of Satan… And if Yukio is Rin's younger brother, then he too is a Son of Satan... isn't he?"_ Thea had already wondered about questions like 'Could demons mate humans?' or 'Would they possess them and then somehow _create_ a child?' However, this time, her train of thoughts was surprisingly different. _"What would Rin even want to kick his dad's ass for? He didn't like his latest birthday gift or something? Man,_ _first he is a half-demon, now the Son of Satan… I am afraid of what I will learn when I check tomorrow. God, this place is crazy..."_

The chocolate-eyed girl shook her head. _"Seriously, though… What is one supposed to say to such a claim, anyway?"_ She carefully looked at the young man standing in front of her. There he was, trying to tell her the scary truth in some 'normal' way. Trying to be honest and open. She reminded herself of her resolve to give these demons a chance. That the origin did _not_ play a role in this. _"Oh, come on Thea, it's not like he had any saying in who his father would be… After all you have seen here, what does it even matter? If_ that _annoying demon can lead this academy… then… then nothing should surprise me anymore!"_ She realized with a shock. She did not really care anymore… While her mind was racing about all the details, fact by fact, it had not even registered on how she perceived Rin as a _person_. _"Maybe I am just getting used to all of this."_ she concluded, slowly overcoming her prejudice about demons.

It took her some time to collect herself, but in the end, the words finally left her mouth. "Thank you for telling me, Rin. I understand and I want to continue studying here. You know, as long as you do not invite your father to our graduation ceremony…" She tried to lighten the mood. Rin's eyes almost popped out, but he quickly recovered. "Oh, hell no!" he waved his hands defensively. "If anything, I will invite him only to kick his ass!" "I see… Is he bad then? Like bad-bad? Or is he like you and Sir Pheles?" the blonde inquired further. Rin went silent for a while. She must have touched a sensitive topic there… "Bad-bad, Thea. Like… really bad." he clenched his hands into fists. "Ah, all right… If you say so. Anyway, I _do_ want to remain here and study with you guys." she confirmed again, just to make sure she got that point across. And also, to move on from that obviously touchy subject...

The black-haired boy gawked at her. "For real?!" He couldn't believe it! Even some of his current friends took a lot of time to get used to him being the Son of Satan. _"Well, maybe because, unlike her, they saw you going berserk with your fire, stupid!"_ he reminded himself reluctantly. The blonde continued in a calm voice. "Yes. The recent events were... quite challenging for me, but I can manage." she smiled. A huge smile appeared on Rin's face. "Thanks, Thea! You're the best!" he flung himself at her, pulling her into a strong, excited embrace. _"I can't believe it! Another person who didn't reject me! Another person who wants to give me the chance to prove myself! Another person who… whom I am freaking out again!"_ he realized and quickly jumped away from the blonde, hoping he hadn't just jeopardized all his previous efforts. "Sorry… it was a reflex… I will be more careful! Promise!" the half-demon started apologizing. Oh, his powers were in check, but he should probably think twice before doing such bold gestures. Suddenly, his nose twitched as he smelled something… smoking? Burning? "Whoa!" the half-demon quickly patted his sleeve before it caught on fire. He regarded the girl cautiously. Thea was panting a little, cheeks flushed in embarrassment. And inwardly, she was scolding herself profoundly. _"Gosh Thea, three days at the academy and you still cannot even keep your aura subdued when a demon gives you… No. When a_ friend _gives you a hug!"_ She composed herself quickly. "I am sorry, Rin. I didn't mean to. I have been training to keep it in check, but still can't control it very well… You hugged me so unexpectedly, that I didn't manage to subdue my aura in time. I am sorry. Are you OK?" she looked at him with concern.

Her black-haired classmate understood. _"In a way, we are quite alike. Her and me. Me from the time when I couldn't fully control my powers. Well, I still can't control them very well, but that's not the point. The point is... that I get it. I understand that feeling of frustration very well. And I will make sure not to leave her in this alone!"_ he nodded to himself, determined. "I am fine, a little scorched, but fine." he grinned as cheerfully as he could. "Oh God, sorry." she ran fingers through her hair in frustration. "It's just that your aura is quite... overwhelming. Man, I know I have seen it on multiple occasions already, but..." the blonde shook her head, while Rin beamed for some reason. "Oh, that's right! You can see it, can't you?" he inquired. "Ehm… yeah?" Thea looked at him, a little confused. "How is it? Can you see anything else apart from my blue flames?" Rin asked eagerly. "Ah, sure… all the blue flames, the fangs, the pointed ears, the tail, the crown… not sure if the blue behind your back was a halo or wings really…" she counted out while pointing at those very parts.

"Wait! What did you say?! I have a _crown_? Is it big? Does it look cool?" Rin's eyes sparkled as he imagined himself looking so damn imposing. _"I wonder if Shiemi would like it. Me looking like some kind of a king! How great is that?!"_ his trail of thoughts was interrupted, as a melodious laugh filled the corridor. Thea couldn't contain it any longer. _"The Son of Satan is standing in front of me, asking me if his crown looks cool! How hilarious is that?"_ "Did I say something weird?" Rin asked while scratching his head nervously. "Aaah… not at all Rin, not at all..." she giggled. "Man, I would really like to see that!" Rin said, looking himself up and down. Thea thought for a while, and then quickly rummaged through her bag, fishing out her notebook and a pencil. "Maybe I can help with that. Give me your hand. That way, I can see you a lot better." she said, outstretching her own hand. Rin beamed. "Really? Here, you can have both, if that's all it takes." The blonde just smiled, took his hand and started drawing with the other.

"There, this is as accurate as I can make it." She showed him the picture proudly. Her ears weren't prepared for the outburst of laughter that reverberated through the whole hall. "Oh God, sorry, Thea." the half-demon somehow blurted out through the giggles. "But man, you draw just like Mephisto!" he laughed further. Thea felt the heat rising to her cheeks. "What do you mean I draw like Mephisto?!" For some reason, she had the feeling that she should be affronted right now. "Jesus, Thea… it's just so bad! I mean… Why do I have a broom in my hand?" he said, his eyes watering. "Excuse me?! _That_ , for your information, is your _tail_! And it's not _in_ your hand, but trails _behind_ your hand, OK? Gee… everyone's a critic…" the blonde rolled her eyes. "Pffffff… sorry, Thea… Can I have it? Pretty pleeeeease?" The half-demon looked at her with a longing expression on his face. "Sure. And for the Son of Satan himself, I will throw in an autograph, too." she winked and then they both started laughing all over again.

OoO

After the mind-blowing talk with Rin, Thea was walking through the beautiful gardens which led outside of the academy grounds. She really liked this place, especially because of the blooming wisterias and hundreds of flowers. Unfortunately, the blonde wasn't able to give the garden her usual portion of appreciation, for her head was full of planning. There were so many things she had to take care of still today! And Gosh, she was so tired! Her head was already ringing. Still, she would need to go grocery shopping, then study with Ayami, then… "ear" ... and then… "Thea, dear!" ... what was she thinking about again? … "There you are!" Thea gasped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her unfortunate reflexes kicked in, and instead of subduing her aura, it spiked even more. She could already smell the charring piece of fabric. "All fired up, I see." the familiar amused voice reached her ear as Mephisto whispered with a grin. "Sorry, I…" Thea turned around to face the demon, completely ashamed. _"Seriously, Thea?! For the second time today?!"_ she berated herself, her frustration for her untamed aura rising. _"And what's with that expression of his? He looks almost... glad? Relieved? Like… sincerely happy? What is going on? This is so new; it's freaking me out!"_ "No worries, you will have the opportunity to make this up to me. About right now." he waved the hand with the charred glow before it caught on fire. "What? Sir Pheles..." she squeaked, trying to push back the annoying ringing in her head. "It's Sir _Faust_ here, do _not_ forget it. Now then, just play along."

The demon spread his hands theatrically. "I apologize for the delay, but Lady Mitsuhide here really wanted to see the Academy grounds. And I simply couldn't deny the request of one of our most honored partners." Thea probably couldn't look any dumber, but… who on Earth was Lady Mitsuhide?! Mephisto stepped out a little to reveal a beautiful young woman with glossy brown hair put up in an elaborate bun, clad in a purple dress. There was an elegant, middle-aged man in black suit accompanying her. "Ehm, sure… No problem, Sir Phe-Faust! I can wait a little longer, I guess…" The demon put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it a little - a gesture that caused 'Lady Mitsuhide' to give Thea such a stare that a shiver ran down her spine. "Nonsense! I promised to meet you ten minutes ago for our _private lesson_." the demon grated through his smile, which was carrying a hint of warning. _"Gosh he's creeping me out!"_ she gulped. "Ah, of course! You did." Thea smiled nervously, trying to 'play along'. "And I know how important punctuality is for you." she added. "And right you are." the demon confirmed.

"Uhm-uhm." the woman in purple dress voiced her apparent displeasure with the current situation. "Oh, Lady Mitsuhide. As I was saying, though I am deeply sorry, I won't be able to accompany you any longer. I too have many responsibilities that keep me occupied. Surely you understand." "Of course, Sir Faust. I do." the woman cooed. She then turned towards Thea with a half-hearted smile. "Your students are truly lucky to have such a devoted chairman such as yourself. To think that a man of your position and status would actually take the time to _personally_ tend to their needs and struggles. You sure amaze me, Sir Faust." she finished, her right hand clasped on her cheek.

Thea gaped. _"What is that woman's problem?! It's not like I came here to get in the way of… whatever she was trying to do. Gee, no wonder Sir Pheles looks so uncomfortable. Trying to escape, huh? Pfff…"_ Before Mephisto could say anything, Thea jumped in. "Lady Mitsuhide, rest assured that all students fully appreciate Sir Faust's assistance and wisdom." she tried to calm the woman as respectful as she could. That proved especially difficult, because Thea tended to get really cranky when tired. The lady, however, didn't look a bit appeased. "And yet, they still need to learn to appreciate his _time_ , as well. One would think that you would understand such a delicate difference by now, considering your _age_. I mean, and pardon my boldness, that you do look a little too old to be attending a high school." her lips curved into a haughty smile as she continued. "Ah, but then again, you are probably one of the _'special cases'_ , correct?" Lady Mitsuhide fluttered her eyelashes.

_"_ _Oooh… insufferable woman! She merely said two sentences and she is already getting on my nerves! I mean… she basically called me a retard, for God's sake!"_ Thea's ego threatened to overwhelm her. _"No! Calm yourself, Thea! It's just the headache speaking… You will_ not _embarrass yourself_ or _Sir Pheles! A polite answer. Polite! But first I really need to get this out of my system. Just a little..."_ And so, the angry blonde turned her head away, looking at the ground and set at least for whispering under her breath. "Alt wird man wohl, wer aber klug? - Für dich, keine Menge Zeit ist genug… " _"_ _There! Ufff… That sure felt good. Funny, I never thought I remembered so much from Faust. Must be the demon's presence reminding me of it… Now, back to the problem at hand."_ Before Thea could respond, the demon's aura flaunted around her and a sonorous laugh filled the garden.

OoO

_"_ _We all grow old, but who grows wise? For you, no amount of time will suffice...!"_ Mephisto's expression was one of utter disbelief and delight. _"I can't believe she remembers Faust so well! Except that little addition at the end, that is. It was brilliant! It even rhymed! No wonder that whenever she is around, my spirits are so high. The girl is a gem!"_ He couldn't help it, he started laughing so hard that he had to use his demonic powers to avoid a certain embarrassing situation.

Thea stared, completely dumbstruck when she saw the demon burst out with laughter, clutching his arms around his torso. _"Did he… did he hear me? Oh, of course he heard me, with that super demonic hearing or whatever…"_ she cringed. _"But surely that witch didn't hear me, did she? Oh God, I didn't mean to be so disrespectful in front of him. It just… slipped."_ The demon brushed a tear from his eye. "Oh Miss Thea, you sure are on fire today." Although the blonde was really happy that the demon appreciated the whispered remark, she couldn't fully enjoy the laughter. Not when everything looked so still! "Sir Pheles, something's wrong! The woman is..." she voiced with concern, as she noticed the unmoving, unchanging expression on lady Mitsuhide's face. She looked like a porcelain doll. "Oh, everything is just fine, dear." the demon said through the chuckles, waving his hand in dismissal. "No, it's not." the girl shook him. "She's not moving. Nobody is!" Thea realized with a shock as she spotted other similarly 'frozen' students in the close proximity. "That was your doing. I know it, I felt it!" "You got me, dear." he threw up his hands in defeat. "I couldn't hold it any longer, so I had to help myself a little." he winked. "Help yourself?! You. Stopped. Time!" she said almost accusingly. "But it did help, didn't it?" he smiled mischievously.

"Oh my God!" To say that Thea was stunned would be an underestimation. The demon just made it back to the top of her 'crazy reveals of the month' ladder by admitting that he could manipulate the friggin' time! _"And he said it in such a calm, offhand manner, as if he was commenting on the weather. Honestly, I know he is a powerful demon. But this?! This gives the word 'powerful' a whole new meaning! I am not even sure if I feel terrified or awed. Maybe a little of both."_ Her natural curiosity caused her to settle for 'fascinated'. _"How does that even work? Can he time-travel too? And how many times has he already stopped the time? Has he stopped the time for me? Is that how he saved me from the red-headed demon in black suit?"_ Her mind was racing, until it stopped at a certain point… "Wait a moment." Thea said suddenly, her eyes a little distant, searching. Mephisto interrupted in a smooth voice. "I am afraid, I can't do that. Not even for you, Miss Thea - you ask the impossible. The time stopped. No moment will pass for us to wait…" he grinned.

The chocolate-eyed girl came out of her stupor. "Ah, right…" she shook her head at the demon's remark. Then she suddenly clasped his hands. Now it was Mephisto's turn to be surprised. _"This is new. She usually avoids any close contact. Especially with me... So, why is she standing on her tiptoes, looking at me with such a concentration?"_ He waited. "Bend over a little please, you are too tall." A small pink blush appeared on his cheeks. _"What in the world is she trying to pull here? Surely she isn't going to… Keineswegs, just don't overthink this! Looks like it's my turn to play along..."_ And so, he leaned in a little, waiting patiently.

"I knew it!" The girl exclaimed with satisfaction. "I wasn't sure before, but those _are_ hour-hands building up your crown!" she chirped while trying to trace the crown with her fingertips. She couldn't really _touch_ it, it was just an aura, after all. However, she could somehow get a _feel_ of it. The way it was levitating and pulsing with the black, golden and purple hues - it felt almost alive! _"Ah, so that's what you were after. You little charming brat, teasing me like that!"_ the Lord of Time thought with a tiny hint of disappointment. He would not let her get away with it that easily! "Why, Miss Thea, I was under the impression that you were not the type to 'go around touching demons'." Mephisto smirked mischievously. The blonde's eyes widened, as she recognized her own words from the amusement park. She then realized that, in order to take a look at his demon form, she had been holding his hand this whole time! Interestingly enough, she did not burn him. At all! Until the feeling of embarrassment hit her, that is. It turned her cheeks to the color of beetroot and his gloves to ashes - which would probably still taste better...

_"_ _Oh my God! What am I doing?!"_ She pulled her hands off the demon in a swift motion. "I am so sorry, Sir Pheles! I didn't mean to impose! And the gloves! I was just… I… " she blurted out. "That is quite all right, dear. It would be unfair to blame women who cannot help themselves but touch me. This is all my looks and charm doing." he shook his head in a feigned lament, taking off the remnants of his gloves. "But still, I _will_ pay you back for it." "Hey! I wasn't… I was just curious, OK?" Thea's face got red all over. "Curiosity killed the cat." he poked the girl's nose mischievously. "But satisfaction brought it back!" she stuck out her tongue, before she could stop herself. The demon just chuckled. "Well, I apologize for interrupting your little exploration, but we have a conversation to finish. I promise that once we are done here, you can touch me to your heart's content." the demon winked at her, snapped his fingers, and the time started flowing again.

OoO

… "One would think that you would understand such a delicate difference by now, considering your _age_. I mean, and pardon my boldness, that you do look a little too old to be attending a high school." her lips curved into a haughty smile as she continued. "Ah, but then again, you are probably one of the _'special cases'_ , correct?" Lady Mitsuhide fluttered her eyelashes. Despite the time-freeze, Thea swiftly caught up with the situation and promptly jumped in. She would _not_ let Sir Pheles fight this petty little battle for her. The haughty witch was hers! "Thank you for sharing the wisdom you have gained over all those _long_ years, Lady Mitsuhide. And thank you for taking the time that you so value in order to bring Sir Faust to me… Even through the stairs, which, I hope, weren't too inconvenient. You are too kind. Actually, now that I am looking at you… you seem kind of familiar. Oh right! Weren't you the one who complained about the taste of her Alzheimer's pills just yesterday in our university hospital?" the blonde flashed her one of her best smiles and then turned to the demon. "Ah, never mind. Sir Faust, I believe that the time is already scarce. Shall we go, then?

She noticed that while Lady Mitsuhide's face went almost as purple as her dress, Sir Pheles was obviously struggling not to use the 'time-freeze' again. Well, it wasn't really that obvious of a struggle, but Thea could somehow read those little expressions of his by now. A twitch of his lip here, the spark in his eyes there… Mephisto's eyes were truly sparking. _"Dear Lord, that was savage! Sometimes I forget that behind that beautiful face is a surprisingly sharp mind… Not to mention a sharp tongue… Oh, I can't very well blame Thea. After all, the woman asked for it… And here I thought I would need to take care of her insufferable attitude…"_ The demon placed a hand on Thea's shoulder again. If the blonde felt a shiver running down her spine the first time the demon made that gesture, she could almost see the daggers flying from lady Mitsuhide's eyes now. Not that any of those imaginary daggers would actually hit true… "Yes, we should definitely make a haste. Lady Mitsuhide, thank you for your valuable time. Gin, my secretary, will accompany you to the Main Gate." he looked at the middle-aged man in a suit. Lady Mitsuhide, who seemed to have collected herself by now, finally spoke. "Of course, Sir Faust. It was a pleasure to meet you, too. And I am looking forward to seeing you again. The summer festival will be here soon, after all." she smiled, skillfully managing to secure the invitation to the event for herself. "Ah, right you are. You are most certainly welcome. The official invitations are yet to be sent out." Mephisto inclined his head. "Please, send my best regards to your father as well." He then turned and led Thea away.

OoO

"My oh my, was she persistent!" Mephisto eased his tie a little with one hand while pushing the blonde forward with the other hand on her back. "Thea, dear, that was quite intense. I wouldn't think you were even capable of saying something so rude. Subtle, but rude..." he teased, a smirk plastered on his face. Thea gawked at him. "If I had wanted to be rude, I would have told her that those Alzheimer pills were not suppository but had to be taken orally. I mean… I just met that woman and she called me a 'special case' for God's sake!" the blonde said firmly. _"Oh man, I really_ am _cranky!"_ she thought, a little embarrassed for her outburst in front of Sir Pheles. "Pfffffffffff." Mephisto covered his mouth to muffle his outburst. "I think I am not giving you enough credit, dear…" he laughed.

Thea was glad to be of help, and she actually enjoyed herself quite a lot, but she didn't have time for this. This day was already so hard, it almost felt like a week! She had to rush home already! The sleepiness seemed to be catching up with her, too. And so, she turned towards the demon. "Sir Pheles, I know you probably want to be as far as possible from that woman, but I really need to go now. I still have to…" "Ein-zwei-drei~" Thea couldn't even finish the sentence, as she lost her footing when the scenery suddenly changed. "Ah, apologies, Miss Thea, I forgot to warn you. I must have been more distracted than I thought." the demon lamented. "Did you enjoy my little teleportation?" he grinned. _"Yeah, you sure know how to make a woman lose the ground under her feet…"_ the blonde thought, while her head was still spinning wildly from the sudden movement. However, she _did_ enjoy it... "Sure, it was kind of fun." The blonde giggled. "So, uhm… where are we?" she asked, looking around, searching for some place to sit down. _"Man, what's wrong with me? The teleportation wasn't so bad… was it?"_

"This is the training area No. 7." the demon spread his hands, bringing a small forest area into view. "A smaller one, but it will serve our purpose." "What purpose?" Thea asked carefully, trying to blink away the strange tiredness. Mephisto looked at her in anticipation. "For our private lesson, of course." "Wait a minute! I thought that was just a bluff… We had no lesson scheduled, right? I wouldn't forget something so important!" she said a little anxiously. "How flattering to know that you would find me so important." he smirked. "I… hey!" "Relax, Miss Thea. No lesson was scheduled, really, but I found the timing most appropriate. I have been meaning to speak to you about certain matters of importance. You see..." his speech was interrupted as the blonde suddenly yelped. "No! Shoo, shoo!" the demon heard the girl saying, frantically waving her hands in front of her. "Miss Thea?" Mephisto asked, puzzled. "Go away!" She cried in frustration. "Pardon?" He raised his eyebrows. Then he spotted the little bee flying around Thea. _"Ah, now I see… Pfff… Poor bee. You too can smell that beautiful sweet honey-scent coming from the girl, can't you?"_ The blonde was turning in all directions, until her foot found a root of a nearby tree. She was just about to stumble to the ground, but she somehow managed to clutch the demon's arm in the process and stay up on her wobbly feet. Not that the demon wasn't there in a blink of an eye to catch her...

Mephisto's lips curved into a smile. "For the second time today, Miss Thea? My, my. I know I promised that you could touch me to your heart's content but let us save the fun for after the lesson, agreed?" he teased, lifting her chin with his index finger. Thea instantly turned red all over and a thin gush of blood was trailing down her nose. Mephisto raised his eyebrow in amusement. "Oh dear, I wouldn't take you for the type to get a nosebleed from all that excitement." The girl finally spoke. "What in the world… are you… talking about?" her voice faltered. "I... I just… I need to sit down." her legs wavered. The demon's eyes widened in recognition. _"I am such a... Vollidiot!"_ he chastised himself mentally and gently lowered the girl to the grass. She leaned on the tree that almost caused her fall. "Miss Thea, what's wrong?" he kneeled in front of her, fished out his pocket square and put it to her nose. Strange how often he had the chance to use that seemingly useless piece of cloth. "Here." "Thank you, Sir Pheles. And sorry for the trouble. I think I am just a little tired, that's all… Just give me a sec and we can talk about that, err… that important stuff..." "Not today, dear." The demon leaned in more closely to inspect her. His eyes narrowed, which sent shivers down Thea's spine and she pulled away. "What is it?" "Hmmm... Now, that's strange…" he mumbled and then pinned her with a stern look. "Miss Thea, have you been taking those anemia pills my hospital staff prescribed?" The blonde tilted her head in confusion. "Why would I be taking those?" "You are the aspiring doctor. You tell me why one would need to take _anemia_ pills." he tried to tease her, but couldn't get the firm, scolding edge out of his voice. "Of course, I know what they are for!" she answered, a little too affronted. "I just don't need any. I am not sick or anything."

Now it was the demon's turn to be confused. He clasped his hands. "I have been living around humans for a century or two, and even though, strictly speaking, I am no doctor, anemia _is_ what you would call 'being sick' and people with anemia should take their pills." Thea furrowed her eyebrows. "Ah, hold on… so, you are trying to tell me that _I_ have anemia?" she pointed a finger at her person. "Precisely." "But that was just your cover up story for Ayami and the others at the university. Which, by the way, really caused me trouble! What were you thinking coming up with such an excuse? You even told her I fainted! That's not cool at all. I have never fainted in my entire life! Now, Ayami has been bugging me about what I eat or drink for these three days. And that's not even the worst of it, she even made me..." Thea trailed off, when Mephisto suddenly stood up in a swift motion. He took down his hat and ran his fingers through his silky hair in frustration, then exhaled. "Honestly. You are one troublesome little lady." the demon shook his head. "Wait here. I'll be right back." he ordered with a voice that left no room for arguing and after his usual 'Ein-zwei-drei~' disappeared into thin air, before Thea could possibly react.

OoO

_"_ _Oh, that little… oblivious fool of a woman! How can anyone be so bright, yet so ignorant at the same time?"_ Mephisto massaged his temples in a poor attempt to calm his thoughts. _"How could one human be such a handful? Well, it is not entirely surprising that she would come to that conclusion. After all, I_ did _alter the whole story of why exactly she ended up in the hospital…"_ the Lord of Time admitted. _"Honestly though,_ _I have not invested all this time and effort so that she could meet her demise due to poor blood condition!"_ his jaw tightened. Muffled steps interrupted his thoughts. "Here you go, headmaster. Is there anything else I can do for you?" the middle-aged woman from the Academy exorcist supply shop asked, handing over a small package. "That would be just fine, Mrs. Moriyama. Have a good day." Mephisto turned on his heel and left in a flash of white.

The shopkeeper pulled on her long pipe and exhaled. _"It's been a few years since_ that one _showed up personally… And with such a ridiculously_ ordinary _request, too… He grows boring. Last time he dropped by, he wanted triple distilled oil from seeds of Devil's Snare…"_ Mrs. Moriyama shook her head and returned to organizing her inventory. She should probably set some of the special pills aside. Just in case he would return for more...

OoO

Thea was puzzled. Was that really true? She _did_ have anemia? But that was impossible, she always healed herself, closed every wound or scratch… Even yesterday, when that group of 'goblins' - she finally knew their name - managed to make a fuss in the supermarket by collapsing two regals of liquor on the group of unknowing shoppers. She too was passing through that alley and was hit by several falling bottles of sake. The blonde was sure she managed to get all the pieces of glass out of her back and heal it properly. She tapped her finger on her lips when a thought came to her. _"Or maybe… maybe I just healed the surface… the torn skin. Only that which I could see, which I knew about. That would mean… Gosh Thea, you idiot! You did not think about the blood! So, I can really have anemia… I just automatically assumed that the demon falsified the results to fit his stupid story!"_ Her palm landed on her forehead with a loud smack. _"Well, no need to cry over spilt milk now. Or rather, spilt blood…"_ Thea closed her eyes in concentration and put her hands over her chest, golden light enveloping her whole body. She still couldn't believe that she would make such an oversight. "Stupid! Stupid! I am such an idiot!" the girl scolded herself.

"Oh, not yet, Miss Thea. Although today you are probably as close as you have ever been." a smooth, amused voice remarked. The demon had arrived just in time to see her little desperate, frustrated gesture. _"Yeah, Thea… Just great. Do not forget to call yourself stupid in front of that annoying demon, as well! You know, just in case he might have missed that little detail about you…"_ her shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, Sir Pheles." the blonde looked up to meet the demon's beautiful forest-green eyes. His eyebrow rose and Mephisto got to his knee in front of Thea. "What for, dear?" "I guess… I just… I thought you made it all up, OK? I should have checked with you. And I didn't mean to be ungrateful for your hospitality. Your hospital wing runs perfectly, and the staff is really professional. I didn't consider the diagnosis to be true, I really thought it was just a cover up story. Anyways… I am all patched up now, so we can probably move on with that lesson of yours..."

Mephisto eyed the girl suspiciously. "All patched up?" "Well, yes. What do you take me for?! I won't be sitting here with my head ringing and blood running down my nose the whole day. I have healing abilities, remember? Pouring some energy into restoring my blood cells isn't such a difficult task, after all. At least now that I know where the problem was…" she blushed. A surprised expression appeared on the demon's face. _"There she goes again… Here I am, set for helping this supposedly helpless human. Wahnsinn!"_ Mephisto thought, a strange variety of feelings mixing inside of him. On one hand, he felt really impressed that, as soon as the girl knew where the problem was, she immediately fixed it. On the other hand, though… his efforts seemed somewhat useless at this point. _"And to think that I was ready to finally give her a piece of my mind for being so reckless with her health, only so she could throw me out of my game, looking all innocent and apologetic. I almost regret even_ thinking _about scolding her… Still..."_ he smirked. "My apologies. I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Miss Thea. Although I must admit that you are full of surprises today."

Then his eyes sparkled. "As for _your_ apology - I will accept it, but first you need to eat this" he pulled a red pill out of the little package he was carrying and placed it on his hand. The blonde looked at it and surprisingly, giggled. "As far as I remember, there are supposed to be two pills. One red and one blue." Mephisto shook his head and grinned mischievously. "A red pill for you, a blue one for me, and a lovely evening for both of us? Oh, or was that a Matrix reference?" The blonde went redder than a beetroot, while the demon let out a sonorous laugh. Thea couldn't believe her own ears, let alone think about some sound response. Her expression said it all. "Oh, relax." The demon continued. "Besides, you wouldn't take the blue one. You are too curious for that." he winked. "Now, despite that healing session of yours, I strongly suggest you take it." He stretched out his hand. "It is a special concentrate to fasten recovery after a blood loss - from the Academy supply shop. You should stop by sometime, as well." Thea looked at the red pill. Should she trust this demon? The pill could be anything! Literally anything! But… She closed her eyes and then took it. "All right then. A small boost might help… as a supplement at least."

"That wasn't so hard, now, was it? Here, drink it down with this." he pushed a bottle of a dark reddish liquid towards the blonde. Her eyes instantly widened, and she pulled away. "Miss Thea, I believe that I have already told you I was no vampire… I assure you that this is not a bottle of blood…" his lips curved into an irritated thin line. "Of course, I know that it is no blood!" she blurted out. "But I almost wish it were, it could be taken intravenously…" she put her hands over her face. Mephisto was startled. "Calm down, dear. It's just beetroot juice. See?" he undid the top of the bottle, only to find the girl cringing further away from him. "I knew it! I could smell that disgusting thing from miles away. Seriously… have you and Ayami ganged up on me? She had been trying to make me drink that stuff for three days already. Three! Well, no… Thank you for the pill, I already swallowed it. But I am _not_ drinking _that._ " Thea put her hands around her torso. The demon burst out with laughter. _"Pfffff… I bet that she would rather drink that blood… So, that friend of hers_ was _looking after her, after all! Splendid."_ He looked up at the chocolate-eyed blonde. He couldn't help but tease her. "As a future doctor, you should know what is best for your patients. And, when in the position of one of them, you should act properly, and not like a hypocrite."

Thea gaped at the demon. "How am I a hypocrite if I do not prescribe such a thing? I wouldn't do that to anyone! OK, maybe to an anti-vaxxer… But that's not the point! I swear, you and Ayami have the same brainwashing tactics… And I am telling you, too - Why can't it be blueberry juice?!" Mephisto thought for a while, then recited a little incantation in his head and changed the oh-so-feared beetroot juice to the blueberry version. "Still, you should drink it. I guarantee it will help." The blonde shook her head. "No, no and no. Absolutely not, and you cannot make me." the words left her mouth before she realized the challenge behind them. The demon's eyes flared with such a strong emotion that Thea's breath caught in her throat. The demon took a sip from the bottle and before his charming anemic lady had time to react, he met her lips with his and pushed the sweet liquid through her mouth. The 'lady' truly didn't have any time to react. Only one last thought managed to cross her mind. _"Well, what do you know? That surely beets the beetroot!"_

OoO

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**Disclaimer:** Blue Exorcists belongs to Kazue Katō. Please, do not re-post or publish my story without my consent.

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**Author's note:** Hello all! ^^ Another chapter is out! It took me a little longer, but then, it is the longest chapter so far. I really hope that you enjoyed it! :)

Anyway - this is my first FF-writing attempt, so I would really appreciate your feedback :)


	9. Biblical strike at the hospital I.

"Cursed bastard!" The Duke of the Abyss bit out. He was originally on his way to find, as Samael had put it, 'a suitable location for the next training session'. And so, burdened by yet another frivolous task from the clown, he spent the last two days in search of a proper battleground, analyzing the terrain and attributes of the Academy's various training areas. _"If I have to suffer this insult and play a teacher for those exorcist brats, then I will make sure to use every single advantage and give them hell without it looking too intentional._ _After all, the terrain itself could often take care of many unpleasant accidents and mortals are just so fragile…"_ his lips curled into a wicked smile.

It was then, while passing the training area No. 7, a rather small, green piece of property surrounded by a thick forest, when he spotted _her_. The source of his most recent humiliation. The demon kept his distance and made sure that his presence was well cloaked behind a barrier. Oh, he had learned from the last encounter with the puny, meddling wench; and he was not one to make the same mistake twice. _"This one… this_ insect _, can somehow detect the presence of demons, as well as their powers and spells."_ His eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth at the memory. Anger and thirst for revenge boiled inside of him, threatening to burst out, but he willed them to subside. _"Tsk, how could she have ever broken one of my precious vortexes?! Just look at her… sitting there, completely oblivious, weak! Probably hurt as well, judging from the smell of blood. Pathetic! Maybe I should just punish her for her insolence right now and put an end to her pitiful existence!"_ his hands twitched, the claws on his fingers unsheathing, then retracting again.

A pulsing golden light interrupted his train of thoughts - the human was using her powers for some reason. _"Don't tell me that she has detected my presence?!"_ The demon felt a strange mix of panic and anger rising inside, while swiftly checking the condition of his barrier. It was intact. Suddenly, that bastard Samael showed up and knelt right in front of the wench! _Knelt!_ The duke almost lost his temper. _"That pathetic excuse of a demon! What is he thinking,_ kneeling _in front of vermin! Unacceptable! Putting all of our kind into shame!"_ Abaddon clenched his hands into fists, crimson color slowly entering the white of his eyes. The series of events that played out in front of him were even more shocking. _"Just what exactly have you been doing while on Assiah?!"_ Crimson eyes widened in disbelief as Abaddon saw his current 'master' displaying such a deplorable behavior towards the human. Oh, demons did often play with their prey, but he knew that Samael ate neither their souls, nor their flesh. _"He is already too powerful to benefit from such measures…"_ the duke admitted grudgingly.

_"_ _She is merely a human wench with some healing powers... As far as I know, there is nothing particularly special about that skill - some of these mortals have it, too. All right, so she can detect the presence of demons. That makes her about as special as a dandelion among weeds. So, why does Samael seem to be so interested in her?_ _He is a schemer, a trickster. Surely there must be_ something _to gain from that wench! After all, those pathetic, filthy creatures are only good as a fodder!"_ The red-headed demon shook his head when a thought suddenly occurred to him. Some demons preferred more… subtle ways to corrupt a human soul. Or maybe it was just their perverted inclination to copulate with mortals instead of one of their kin. One could never tell, especially with succubi. Not that _he_ would ever consider such behavior. Humans, those weak creatures with a lifespan shorter than a tree more than repulsed him. _"However, many members of the aristocracy like to keep humans as servants, as their contacts in Assiah, or simply as playthings. Satan was no exception, either... Yes,_ that _would fit Samael just perfectly. Fucking some of his oh-so-precious humans! Tsk."_ his face contorted in a grimace of disgust. _"Well… if there is even a speck of truth in that…"_ his lips widened into a wicked grin. _"Then I should be able to use this information to my benefit. Maybe I will put the wench to a test and see for myself what she is really made of… After all, my high and mighty 'master' never specified that the 'suitable training location' must be found on the Academy grounds… Oh yes. Don't think even for a second that I, Abaddon, the Duke of the Abyss, will be serving under this… this disgrace to the demon race! I shall have my freedom and the reign over my territories back!"_ the demon clenched his fists, resolved.

OoO

"So, does that mean that you can _cure_ people from cancer?" Izumo asked, completely astonished, as she was watching Thea's hand gently resting on the chest of one of the patients in the oncology section of the Tokyo University hospital. "God, no!" Thea just shook her head, and if she hadn't been wearing a mask at the moment, a regretful expression would have been visible on her face. "I mean, I wish I _could_ , but no. At least, not _yet_ …" the way how her new classmate finished the sentence had a very determined edge to it - as if she actually intended to attempt such a feat.

Izumo and Shiemi planned to pick Thea up, then meet up with the boys and head for their Saturday cram lesson at the Academy together. And pry out some details about their newest oldest classmate on the way, of course. The slender girl with blonde locks was getting really interesting and Izumo couldn't help but wonder. _"We have been studying together for about two weeks now, and yet I still know close to nothing about her. Well, good thing I have suggested this whole meetup. So far, we know just that our new classmate has a sweet tooth, because she only agreed to come as soon as I mentioned that we would all grab some popsicles on the way…"_ she grinned inwardly. When Izumo had called Thea in the morning, the blonde had asked them to come directly to the hospital instead of the dorms, saying that she still had had some things to finish there. Then, she had also added "Oh, you wanted to know a little more about my powers, right? Well, I might as well show you when you come…" However, Izumo certainly hadn't expected to end up _here_ , dressed in some protective coat and wearing a mask. She was now looking at the patient, a young boy around ten, who was enveloped in hues of golden light. _"The whole room suddenly feels so… peaceful. So calm. So right."_ she unknowingly clutched a hand to her chest and closed her eyes for a second, just to savor it.

"Then, what exactly are you doing, Thea?" Shiemi asked, interrupting the strange moment of peace. "Ah, how do I explain this… I am healing the boy - in a way. Maybe more like helping him to heal himself, really. The thing is, I can only heal what I understand. Just as a doctor. Imagine you cut your hand on a piece of glass. Now, I know how to heal that cut on your hand, because I _understand_ what your body does when it tries to close this injury. In such a case, I can use my powers to control this process - to start it, to speed it up. Or to slow down other, unwanted processes. I just pour my energy into the other person in a very specific way." Izumo inclined her head. "Is that how you saved me that time? When I collapsed after the 'vortexes' sucked out all of my energy?" The blonde nodded. "Yes, I changed my energy to whatever your body needed at that time. The rest was up to you, though." "So, what are you trying to do now?" Izumo pointed at the boy.

The blonde exhaled. "Basics only, I am afraid. Haku - the boy - is after successful chemotherapy. You see, the process can save your life, but is far from pleasant and leaves your body very weak and vulnerable. Your immune system is practically non-existent after the treatment. Right now, he could very well die from a cold. That's why you are wearing that delightful, fashionable attire." Her classmates chuckled and she continued. "What I am trying to do now is boosting the creation of white blood cells in his body, so that he could regain the immune system and recover faster. There are some other things I could take care of for him, but I find this one issue the most pressing. Besides, I also need to reserve the energy for… well, for myself… I certainly won't be of help to anybody if I drain myself completely. Once I go behind that certain point and deplete my energy, it takes much longer for me to recover it back…" The blonde explained, giving her friends some time to process all the information. "And what would that certain point be? I mean, how many of these patients can you heal?" Izumo inquired. "Hmmm, good question. It is actually very individual and depends on the patient's condition. For people like Haku here - let me see... This hospital section usually treats around fifteen such demanding patients, and I can only help about two or three people daily with my powers. So, you see, the 'regular' doctors are definitely still needed. Ah, but I guess that's already out of topic… sorry guys." Thea laughed nervously.

"No, it's fine. It's actually very interesting." Shiemi waved her hands. "And I am quite happy that someone like you is now in our team now." "Me too." Izumo nodded, her mind racing. _"She certainly is no fighter, but I can already imagine the ways how she could boost our overall performance. I wonder if she could send that energy over without the need to directly touch the individual… Yes, that would be useful for sure."_ "That's… very kind of you. Thank you. I am really happy that I can study at the Academy with you, as well." the blonde said and released the flow of her energy. "Now, I think that would be enough for today. Come, you can drop those clothes outside in the changing room." And so, the three of them left the room, changed, and then Thea went to fetch her bag somewhere on the opposite side of the long floor. She also wanted to thank Dr. Kim for allowing the group to visit 'their sick friend'. Finding excuses to visit patients she intended to heal were a piece of cake to her now. And the simplest ones usually worked the best - nobody would think about a visit as suspicious, and unless the individual had any spiritual powers, they wouldn't even notice anything out of the ordinary. She was just visiting a patient, holding his or her hand or checking the pulse.

When Thea returned, Izumo could see that the blonde looked kind of nervous for some reason. She folded her hands and raised one eyebrow questioningly. "Is something the matter?" Thea was looking around, frowning. "I just… I couldn't find Dr. Kim and I didn't meet a single nurse on my way, either. There should definitely be at least one nurse on the rounds." She scratched her head. "I should probably go and check the nurses' room." Izumo frowned at that idea and checked the time again. "Fine, but be quick about it, or we are going to be late for the lesson. I'd better call the guys; they should be waiting outside in the park somewhere…" she finished and pulled out her cell phone. Shiemi inclined her head. "Do you want me to come with you, Thea?" "No, it's fine… I mean, maybe I am just overthinking this and we just missed each oth…" Thea trailed off, looking to her right. "What is it?" Shiemi approached and saw the blonde's brows furrow as she was looking through the huge acrylic-glass wall to her right.

Eight beds were positioned in the spacious room, with tiny nightstands and all the necessary hospital equipment surrounding each one of them. The younger exorcist could see the hangings slowly moving, as a soft breeze gently blew from the half-opened window. The whole room basked in the sunlight. All was calm, peaceful. Just like the patients who were sleeping. "I don't understand. The patients are just sleeping." "That's right." Thea nodded, her voice a little uneasy. "They are sleeping. _All_ of them. At 10 AM." Shiemi gasped. "Are they…?" "No, they are not dead, if that's what you mean." the blonde quickly cut in, putting her hand on the glass. "I can feel their auras, despite how the illnesses reduced their original strength... Perhaps on some kind of special medication? No… Something's not right…" She closed her eyes and tried to get a feel of the hospital section, but was failing miserably, because a strange sound kept disturbing her. Chirping? Buzzing? Her hand suddenly felt ticklish.

_"_ _Oh, seriously, all my concentration gone this easily?!"_ she pouted while she registered the voice of her classmate in the background. "That's right, we are probably going to be late. Deal with it. We'll explain it to Mr. Okumura somehow. And… oh, what the heck is with the noise?!" Izumo growled in irritation, then suddenly gasped. "Locusts?" she almost whispered. Thea's eyes snapped open at that remark and widened in horror, because there was a big locust crawling on her hand. Normally, she would have no problem with insects, but a large part of her recent nightmares had been filled with these exact creatures! Then she felt it. Tremendous demonic presence - deep, twisting like a whirlpool, intent to consume all that was alive. It reminded her of the aura the red-haired demon had had around his person. However, she couldn't really feel _him_ anywhere around. Nevertheless, she quickly warned her friends. "It's a demon attack! I can see a barrier outside, too! It's like a trap!" Shiemi's concerned voice interrupted. "Thea! The patients!" she pointed - the whole room started filling with locusts, jumping all over the poor patients, filling the place with a sickening miasma. The peaceful atmosphere in the room changed in an instant, all sunlight completely gone. Every corner seemed to be darker, every shadow longer. One of the patients started clutching the bedsheet nervously. Jaws clenched and faces contorted in pain, the other patients also seemed to be in pain. It was as if the creatures suddenly decided to suck out the life out of the poor people.

"Change of plans!" Izumo thundered to the phone. "Get your asses over here! We've got a problem! The oncology section, third floor - asap!" she hung up, already preparing the piece of paper with the magic circle. "Mike! Uke!" A drip of her blood, a short incantation, and her familiars, two small demon-foxes, appeared on each side of her. At the same time, Shiemi summoned her own familiar, the greenman Nee. Insects started filling the floor where they stood. The greenman grew larger and positioned itself in front of the girls, covering them from the sudden surge of incoming locusts. "Thank you, Nee! Please, hold them off, while I think of something..." Shiemi cheered her familiar. In the meantime, the two little foxes attacked the swarm, snapping at it and crushing the locusts under their feet. Thea could see that, despite their small and quite cute, harmless appearance, those demons were actually pretty strong. And her suspicion was proven right in the moment Izumo uttered _Tamayura no Harai._ The foxes jumped forward at such a speed, that they actually created something akin to a small hurricane-like circle, biting at the swarm.

Thea was awed by their quick reaction! Unfortunately, unlike her two classmates, she didn't display any talent for summoning familiars during these weeks, no matter how many times she tried, thus proving unfit to pursue the Tamer class. Not that she wanted to, but the skill seemed quite useful. So far, the only demon she had managed to summon successfully _and_ repeatedly, was Rin, when she had called him to join her for pizza. Speaking about Rin, she was no sword master either; and even though she could memorize huge amounts of information quite swiftly, she was still miles away from using incantations the same way as the others. However, she would _not_ be useless and defenseless! She quickly fished the little bottles with holy water out of her bag - Yukio advised the students to always have something 'instant' prepared in case they didn't have the time to cast a spell or summon a familiar immediately. Silently reciting the shortest purifying incantation she had learned, she stormed into the patients' room and threw the sparkling contents over the people to keep them protected. It worked just as she hoped it would - a strong repellent causing the swarms of demon locusts avoid the patients. Despite its effectiveness, Thea felt nervousness rising - other rooms seemed to be getting filled with those buzzing pests too and she feared there wasn't enough holy water for every one of them...

Still, she didn't have time to think of them now, because part of the locust swarm charged her instantly. The blonde expected them to do so and instantly dropped her self-restraint, causing her aura to flare around, creating something akin to a barrier with a meter-wide perimeter. The locusts collided with it and the insects started falling to the ground just like moths after hitting a lamp. "At least now I can let my aura flaunt around as much as I want!" Thea smirked, encouraged. However, that little feat managed to pick up the attention of other groups of swarms which came at her in persistent waves. The locusts were buzzing all around her, completely covering her view. _"Gosh, this is disgusting! I have to stay calm. Calm!"_ She urged herself, as she heard the sickening crunch - crunch - crunch under her feet. Not to mention that the whole room started to smell like old grass, intestines and urine. _"Geez, to think that I have just changed from my protective gear... Worst-timing-ever!"_ Despite standing her ground, the swarm seemed to have no end, they just kept coming. She called out to where she thought her friends were standing, because she couldn't see any of them through the clouds of locusts. "Are you OK, guys?"

In a moment, she heard Shiemi's voice. "Thea! Yes, we are fine. Are you in there? Are you all right?" "Yeah, all good for now." she answered, having to shout, because the buzzing was making too much noise. "Listen, isn't there some kind of plant to ward them off?" "I am working on it! We need to hold the demons off just for a few more minutes, the boys are on their way!" "That's great!" Thea called back with relief. "Guys, listen!" Izumo's voice reached them. "Do not let the red locusts touch you - I think that it will drain your powers. And mind the metasomas!" "The what?!" Thea and Shiemi asked in a sync. "Tails! The tails! - Dammit… Die you disgusting pests! - Don't let them sting you!" _"Sting?"_ Thea looked at the hopping insects more closely. _"Dear Lord, what the hell?!"_ she exclaimed inwardly, just when she heard Shiemi's 'Eeeeek!' in the background. Some of the locusts were absolutely normal. Disgusting, but normal. However, a number of them were kind of reddish with a black scorpion-like tail at their back. Surprisingly, they didn't seem to go after the patients. The rest of the locusts did, though - she could see how they crawled over the bedsheets even for the price of being purified by the holy water she has just sprinkled over them.

"Not on my watch, you wretches!" the blonde cried out, sweeping them off the patients with her 'bare' hands, allowing her aura to act as a neat purifying tool. And then, out of nowhere, she could see some weird green-and-grayish dust sprouting on the walls around her. "Eeeeew, what is that thing?" Izumo shouted. Shiemi's soft voice reached her again. "Girls! Don't get startled, OK? The gray carpet you will see should have some effect on the insects. At least I really hope it will…" "Is it safe for us?" Thea asked. "Yes, it should be perfectly fine for people. Although now that you mention it, I am not sure about breathing in bigger amounts of it…" The blonde thought for a while and an idea came to her. "There should be some respirators in the wardrobe to your right. Just put them on." "I am on it!" Izumo shouted back through the buzzing cloud and started rummaging through the wardrobe. "By the way, Shiemi, what is that 'carpet' of yours?" their new classmate inquired further. "It's a special kind of fungi which kills grasshoppers and locusts... It's a pesticide." "So, is it working or something?" Izumo called back. "It usually takes about one to three weeks to work, but..." "Well that sucks!" Izumo exclaimed. "I-I am sorry, Nee is trying his best to speed it up, but it's growing very slowly for some reason."

"Ah, of course!" Thea's eyes widened in recognition and she explained her theory quickly. "It's because the hospital has to be perfectly sanitized and sterile. Even the walls. Make it grow on the floor instead - it's already covered by dead insects." "Oh, I see. Thank you, Thea! I am working on it. I am sure that it will only take a few minutes - The fungi just need some time to grow inside their bodies." Shiemi sounded almost enthusiastic and was already instructing Nee about where to position the new bunch of fungi. "Man, that's even more disgusting than those insects!" Izumo exclaimed after hearing about the way this 'pesticide' worked. "Serves them right, though. Ughh… They just keep on coming! What's taking the boys so long?!" Izumo was getting irritated and impatient. She hated insects! Or maybe it had something to do with the fact that she has already been stung…

Thea's view suddenly cleared to the point where she could see more than half a meter in front of her. Part of the reddish creatures were concentrating in one place. _"What are they…"_ Thea couldn't even finish the sentence, as the demons formed into one huge, more substantial mass which strongly resembled… one overgrown locust?! It was about half a meter tall and long. She wasn't sure, because the form was somewhat distorted, but she could recognize the six legs, a head with huge eyes and antennae, and the terrible scorpion-like tail. _"Of course, the thing has to have that one as well!"_ Thea grimaced at the sight and tried to alert her friends immediately. "Guys, we have a problem here! They are getting bigger!"

And indeed, one such creature was now standing in front of Izumo. Shiemi's familiar was covering them both from the attack. "Man, this sucks! Mike! Uke! _Mitama Shizume no Harai!"_ she chanted another incantation and her familiars took on their human forms. "No Izumo… Ah, too late." One of the familiars grimaced, while the other added. "This was not a good idea, Izumo." Miketsu chastised. "What do you mean by that?" she demanded. "Observe." the familiar stated and dashed at the overgrown locusts with his sword with a speed of a hurricane. He managed to land a perfect blow, of course, but the creature only separated at the point of impact, disintegrating into hundreds of usual-sized locusts, then formed back to the huge body again. Izumo's eyes widened. "I cannot be killing the swarm with my arrows, either, Izumo. The targets are too small and too numerous - they will just split. Besides, this technique is too energy-consuming for you, and I am not sure how your body will react to the venom." Ukemochi continued, looking at her already swelling leg. "Let us proceed with the original attack." The girl with dark violet twin-tails nodded reluctantly and the familiars regained their fox appearance, continuing to fight on in the hurricane-like formation. Izumo crouched, sweat running down her skin as a wave of nausea hit her body _._ Intense pain was throbbing in her foot, just like in her right arm. _"Stupid insects! Stupid venom! I will not collapse here like the last time!"_ she thought with a resolve.

"That's it, Nee! Faster!" Shiemi was urging her familiar. After she managed to remember the existence of the 'grasshopper-killer' fungus, she has been trying to make her familiar understand that the fungus had to grow a lot faster inside the locusts' bodies to take an immediate effect. _"I have to make it quick, Izumo's been stung!"_ Her heart was racing, as she saw her friend crouching next to her, panting. To think that they somehow crawled through the thick barrier of branches and bushes she's covered them in! _"Rin, where are you? Guys… We really need you here!"_ she thought desperately. A scream escaped her mouth as six strong legs pinned her down. Two overgrown crimson locusts appeared in front of her, having broken through her makeshift barrier. "No! Let go of me!" she thrashed around, trying to escape its grasp, but to no avail. Tears started building up in her eyes.

A familiar blue light suddenly filled her view and one of the overgrown locusts was consumed in flames. "Get your disgusting… hand… leg? Ehm… whatever it is off her!" The black-haired half-demon with a katana in his hands shouted. "Shiemi! Izumo! Are you alright? Where's Thea? And why are you wearing respirators?" Rin bombarded them with questions, but his eyes did not leave his other target. "Whoa! What the hell is this?!" Bon's voice thundered as he took in the scene. Konekomaru was at his side, Buddhist beads wrapped around his hand, holding up a barrier for himself and Bon. Shiemi was glad that they had finally arrived, but there was no time for a chit-chat. "Rin! Thank you, guys! I am fine. But we need to help Izumo! She got stung!" "She what? Izumo again? Geez, you have some bad luck..." "Yeah, well, it would not have happened if you had not taken so long!" the girl bit off, clutching her throbbing leg. "Ah, about that - long story short, there was some kind of a barrier. There still is, actually. Never mind, later…" Bon tried to calm her down and focused on the situation at hand. "So, wanna catch us up?"

Shiemi nodded, trying to organize her thoughts into a brief report. "The locusts just appeared out of nowhere. Do _not_ let them touch you, especially the red ones with scorpion-like tails. They can sting you - like Izumo. I am trying to fight the locusts with a special pesticide, and even though it shouldn't be harmful, I don't know for sure, so here..." the girl reached for the white piece of cloth "...put the respirators on, just in case." Izumo continued sourly with the short briefing. "Also, they can somehow fuse into really huge ones. You can probably try and hack at them, but only those which you hit disintegrate. The rest will just fill their place." "Right! Well then, I'll just burn them to the crisp!" Rin's eyes sparked with determination. Shiemi's voice interrupted the wave of flames he started casting, her hand clutching his sleeve. "Rin, wait! You might accidentally hit Thea and the patients." "What? She's out there?" the half-demon exclaimed, receiving a nod from his classmate. "Yes, she is somewhere that way, trying to protect the patients. So, you need to be careful with your flames, alright?" "Gottcha! You guys stay here, I am going after Thea, then." The group nodded in agreement and their half-demon friend disappeared in the buzzing madness raging outside of the makeshift barrier.

Bon put a hand on Konekomaru's shoulder. "Let me take over the barrier. You focus on the fatal verses now, OK?" Konekomaru nodded, ceasing the chanting in his mind. Bon sat on the ground and by performing a series of hand seals while reciting a part of Buddha's mantra of Light, he shielded the whole group. He was surprised how much of an effort it required to keep the barrier from collapsing - one would think that keeping such low-level demons out of the way would be a piece of cake. However, their numbers more than compensating for their lack of strength, Bon was pushing himself hard to keep the barrier stable and large enough to cover all of them. "Konekomaru, do you know if these demons are from any specific demon realm?" he asked and almost dropped the barrier in the process. _"Whoa, I can't let my concentration down or we are demon fodder… Looks like Konekomaru would really need to take full care of the Fatal verses. And here I hoped I could pitch in."_ Konekomaru adjusted his glasses in thought. "Let me see… the scorpion-tails are very distinctive, but apart from the locusts, there is nothing else I can catch on… My first tip would be Beelzebub, but he's usually associated with flies, not locusts… I need to think about this…" his classmate answered, already searching through the long lists of scriptures in his mind.

In the meantime, Shiemi tended to Izumo's sting-wounds with yet another useful plant. "This should slow the spreading down, but it will not cure the venom. You will still need some treatment. I can only reduce the swelling, I am afraid. Sorry." Izumo rolled her eyes and hit her head lightly. "Gee, stop apologizing all the time. You are helping already! See?" she pointed at a group of locusts outside of the barrier. They seemed to move a lot slower, no more hopping or flying around, but dragging themselves on the ground. Shiemi's eyes widened. "It's working!" "Yeah, and I am the one who's on the ground again! Geez, this _sucks_." she said through her ragged breaths. "You are the ground because you are hurt. And yet Mike and Uke are still fighting! Because of you because you are strong!" Shiemi tried to cheer her up somehow. "Tsk, damn right I am strong! I won't go down that easily!" she smirked under the annoying mask. Despite the swarm obscuring her view, she knew her familiars were out there, still fighting viciously. However, she also knew that they couldn't keep this tempo up much longer, not in her current state. The state of her familiars was also starting to concern her - she could feel Mike tiring. _"What if the poison works on demons too?"_ she suddenly realized with a shock. _"That would mean that I might need to call them off sooner than I thought…"_

OoO

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**Disclaimer:** Blue Exorcists belongs to Kazue Katō. Please, do not re-post or publish my story without my consent.

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**Author's note:** Hi there and thank you all for the wait! :) Another chapter of Ardent Exorcist is here, probably the first one with a cliff-hanger :D. I feel almost evil for doing this to you, but I believe that Part II will more than compensate for it ^^ Stay tuned! And as always - this is my first FF-writing attempt, so I would really appreciate your feedback :)


	10. To the Abyss with my thesis!

Thea was panting slightly from all the running from one room to another and sprinkling holy water over the patients. Having emptied the last remains of it, the blonde had been trying to get back to her friends on the other side of the long corridor. She knew that the rest of the group had managed to reach the hospital wing - she could feel their auras, as well as the demonic and holy powers mixing in various attacks. Thea wished to join them in battle, but her path had been cut. _"At least I know why there's no end to this swarm."_ she gulped, her heart beating like crazy, as she was looking into what must have been the pit of doom itself… Or at least that was the first idea that came to her mind when she saw the rocky rim spreading on the floor in front of her, lining deep, endless abyss. And from the pitch-black nothingness, hundreds upon hundreds of locusts were flying out. The blonde tried to remain calm, but this whole attack seemed to have come straight out of her nightmares. _"Geez, things just couldn't get any worse. How am I supposed to return, now?"_ she thought to herself, carefully leaning over the pit, judging the distance she would need to cross if she attempted to jump over it.

Suddenly, her breath got caught in her throat and she quickly retreated back from the pit - a terrible demon crawled out of it. _"Oh, shoot! I spoke too fast…"_ Her panic rose at the sight of the monstrosity. It was not an overgrown locust, but something more... _vile_. Distorted. And sadly, _stronger_. The thing was as huge as a horse, but still had the six spiked legs of a locust. A set of strong-looking wings rushed from it's back, as well as the long scorpion tail. However, the most disturbing was its human face, which bore a set of antennae, and a huge mouth with fangs reaching outward.

Before she could even think of what it was and how to approach a fight with this kind of a demon, it had launched at her and got her pinned to the wall by her shoulder, piercing it. A cry escaped her throat at the sudden pain, but the blonde gritted her teeth and clutched the strange limb with her hands. The monster flinched as its front legs started charring and burning from the touch, which gave Thea a chance to free herself. However, it did not stop its advances for long - the leg did dissolve at her touch, true, but she could already see it forming back. _"No way… as soon as the limb falls off, new locusts just fly in to replace it! What now? Think Thea, think!"_ she urged herself while she turned to start running away from it, reciting every purifying incantation she could think of at the moment. _"This is madness! We cannot fight these demons; we need to close that pit first!"_ she thought desperately.

A male voice cut through the buzzing. "-aaa! Theaaa! Where are you? Theaaableawsch… Dammit, it flew in my mouth! Die all of you!" the half-demon started hacking at the hopping and buzzing insects in irritation. "Rin? Rin, don't come any closer!" Thea tried to warn her friend while struggling to dodge another attack coming from the terrifying locust demon. "Thea? Thea! I came for you! Just hold on!" Rin shouted back and burned away a portion of the swarm around him. He couldn't risk spreading his flames too much without having an idea where approximately the others stood. He figured that burning to death was only slightly better than being eaten alive by some insects, so it was best to keep searching for options. _"Damn these insects with their stupid miasma!"_ Rin thundered inwardly - he would normally be able to get a whiff of his friends, being a demon and all, but the disgusting smell of rot and plague was so strong that his nose couldn't pick up their position. "No! Wait! Stay where you are!" Thea shouted back. "There is some kind of a portal on the floor!" "Whoa! No kiddin'! What the hell is that?!" Rin shouted back, as he spread the flames around him, and his vision cleared enough to see the wide black, bottomless pit in the floor. "I… I don't know! But all the demons are crawling out of it! We gotta… we gotta close it somehow! Or there will be no end to them! Aaaah!" "Thea?! What's wrong?" Rin demanded as he heard the painful cry. A terrible bestial screech amidst the unceasing buzzing was his only answer.

He clenched his hands into a fist. "Thea!" He couldn't just leave her there. Rin closed his eyes in concentration, remembering his tedious training with candles. He was able to pin-point the blonde's location by the sound of her voice. When he opened his eyes, a wave of his demonic flames surged forward, consuming the swarm in front of him, and for a brief moment, he got a clear look at her. Then, everything disappeared in another surge of locusts. "No way… Thea…" rage racked his body and he released a powerful wave straight through the pit on the floor and while his flames were still covering the entrance, the half-demon jumped over the pit towards where his classmate had been. "Get away from her!" he roared and unleashed the flames from his katana upon the creature - the terrible, misfit demon, which was clutching the girl's shoulder in its jaws while pinning her down with its thorny legs, one of them passing right through Thea's thigh. Rin spread the flames around him to cover his friend from the attacking swarm and simultaneously slashed at the demon with all his might. The scorching blue flames in combination with purifying golden light consumed the locust demon fully, and it went down in a terrible screech, no longer able to regenerate itself.

Rin swiftly turned towards the blonde, who was now lying on the floor, trying to lean on her uninjured hand, breathing raggedly. "Oh crap, Thea! Thea, it's OK, I am here. Gosh, hold on..." he cradled her into his arms. Thea quickly remembered to subdue her aura in order not to burn her friend - normally, it would leave her exposed to the swarm, but Rin's flames were burning gently around her, taking care of the problem. "Rin… Rin, c-calm down..." she tried to reassure him, but he probably couldn't even hear her weak voice through all the noise. Her shoulder hurt like hell and she couldn't move her leg an inch. _"I'd better heal the leg first; I need to be able to move around… I can't waste it on the shoulder though, I might still need the energy."_ the blonde tried to think straight. "Hold on! Just… hold on!" Rin was starting to panic, already searching for their escape route. _"Oh God, so much blood… I have to get her out of here before... "_ a translucent golden light suddenly enveloped the blonde and his eyes widened as he saw the terrible wound in her leg closing. As Rin tried to support her, a jolt of pain suddenly shot through Thea's shoulder, making it terribly difficult to breathe. _"On the second thought, maybe I should fix at least part of it…"_ she gritted her teeth and whimpered as her collar bone snapped back to its proper place. "Rin!" she put her uninjured hand on his shoulder. "It's fine, I… I have healing abilities, remember?" she smiled, but her exhaustion was apparent. "Gosh, Thea, you freaked me out! That is one handy power you have there… OK, let me get you out of here. Come, we need to…" "Rin! Look out!" Thea shouted as three oversized monsters - identical to the one they had killed just moments ago - found their way to the surface. Rin's eyes narrowed at them. "Stay behind me." he said and then launched a furious attack at the opponent.

His sword sliced through strong legs covered with razor-sharp spines, through the thick skin on the sides. Rin was a blur of bright blue. However, Thea could see through his exhaustion. The demons were strong, the miasma sickening, and they were both too close to the pit. She could do nothing but stay out of his way, though. Seconds, which seemed like hours passed and Thea was getting nervous - there was just something about the demons' movement... _"What are they doing? It looks like they are only dodging. Are they retreating? No… Circling around him… Oh, no! Could it be…"_ The blonde tried to process the options. _"If I call out to him, I might distract him. But what can I do? Dammit, I am a doctor! I do not wear weapons around!"_ A heavy bag hit the head of one of the monsters, then bounced off right into the pit. "Hey! I am here, you wretches!" Fortunately, she got the attention of all three. "Thea? What…?" the half-demon turned towards her; confusion apparent on his face. "Rin! They are pushing you towards the pit!" she managed to yell.

Rin's eyes widened in recognition and he quickly jumped aside. Or at least tried to - two of the monsters blocked his path, positioning themselves right between him and Thea, while the third one launched at him. In a matter of seconds, he found himself on the ground, his left leg throbbing from the piercing pain. The locust demon somehow managed to pin its front leg right through his ankle and was trying to pull him down the pit. Rin's flames surged all around in a frenzy, and he hacked at the monster with his katana, severing the front leg. "Damn you to hell!" he roared and sent another fire blast straight down the pit, causing the monster to stumble back to where it had come from. The half-demon pulled himself up, desperately trying to scramble away from the rim. A wave of agonizing pain suddenly hit his stomach and he saw something curved and pointy sticking out of his body, then retracting out of it. His vision blurred and he coughed out blood.. His body felt as if it was on fire, excruciating pain throbbing in his stomach, his hands started to twitch in uncontrollable cramps. He tried to lift his body but found himself surprisingly weak to do so. "Rin!" Thea suddenly appeared in front of him and grabbed at his hands and T-shirt in effort to get him out, away from the rim.

For a while, he was completely disoriented, trying to comprehend what exactly was happening. A strong surge of Thea's energy flared around them in an instant, annihilating everything it touched . _"So bright… It's like my flames… It's almost the same. Same, but different. But still the same…"_ was the only thought his slowed-down mind came up with. Then, that peaceful, calming aura of hers enveloped him. _"Is she… is she covering me? From them?"_ his mind seemed numb and his body heavy. "Thea… n-no…" the half-demon uttered. In that moment, he could feel energy returning back to him. It didn't feel the same as the last time - as a strong burst, empowerment - but it brought him out of the slowly approaching unconsciousness. Golden eyes were looking at him with urgency. "Rin, stay awake. Please! You have to stay awake." The girl was leaning above him, the upper part of her body covering his head and chest. The beautiful golden light was purging any locust unlucky enough to be caught in it, while all the others retreated to the walls as far as they could get. Then, it slowly returned back, so it was no longer spread about half a meter around her, but was now outlining her figure, merely a thin line covering her skin. And his. "We can do this. We can…" her eyes were shimmering, switching between the golden and brown colors. Rin turned his head to the side slowly. _"Where are the demons?"_

OoO

"Any ideas, Konekomaru?" Bon asked, sweat running down his temples from the strain of holding up his barrier. The golden shell around the group was now a lot wider in its perimeter, shielding also several patients the Exwires had managed to transport from the nearby rooms under its protection. Thea had done a great job of sprinkling the holy water over the sick people, but the more time had passed, the less effective this measurement had been. "We gotta do something about the rest of the patients, and quick!" he urged further - the group had to leave some of the patients in their rooms due to the various appliances they had been connected to for life support. "I'm trying, Bon, really, I…" Konekomaru's voice was interrupted as a huge monster approached from the front and started scratching at their barrier, its terrible screeches resonating through the hall. "What in the world is that thing?!" Izumo exclaimed, as she spotted the huge monstrosity. Konekomaru's eyes widened. Never in his life had he seen such a horrible, misfit creature. And never in his life had he been happier for it - he recognized these demons.

"Bon! I've got it! They are from Abaddon's realm!" Bon's jaw dropped in disbelief. "What?! But that would mean… I thought he was on the other side... Abaddon - The Destroyer! The _Angel_ of the Abyss!" Konekomaru inclined his head nervously. "Yes, I know. But the Biblical texts have never been completely united on the fact whether Abaddon was an angel or a demon… Just think about it, Bon - the locusts, and these demons..." he pointed outside "...it's the perfect image of Revelation 9." "Tsk." Bon gritted his teeth. "If that's the case, then the Bottomless Pit should be somewhere around, correct?" Konekomaru gulped at the thought of The Abyss and nodded. "Yes, that's where they must be pouring from." "Then we need to close it somehow, and fast! But Konekomaru, I know of no Fatal verse against one such as him…" His friend with glasses thought furiously. _"How did the Revelation go again... 'They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.' ...Well then, I sure hope it will work!"_ he turned towards his friends, a plan already forming in his head.

"Shiemi, do you have any pens in that bag? I need something to write with." "Sure, just a moment." nodding briefly, his classmate rushed off to rummage through her bag. He quickly took the offered pen and held her head in place with one hand. "Don't move." he said as he started drawing the Seal of God. Or rather, its simplified version - there was no time to actually draw the whole set of two circles, a pentagram, two heptagons, and one heptagram, and label it with the name of God and his angels. Bon almost dropped the barrier for the second time as he saw what his friend was trying to do. "Don't tell me you remember that one, too! You are a mad genius, you know it? Seriously man..." he shook his head and smirked, completely amazed. "Shiemi, I need to ask you to do something... potentially dangerous." Konekomaru started in an unsure tone when he was done with the seal. "Please, try and leave the barrier - just for a few seconds, stay as close as possible to it." His friend nodded bravely, the look in her eyes resolute. "All right! I am sure your seal will work." she said and stepped outside of the protection field. As soon as she did so, the locusts moved away from the girl, flying every other possible direction, but towards her. "It's working…" she whispered and moved on, towards the huge demon, who had been scratching at the barrier this whole time. Its human head turned towards her, eying her cautiously, then disregarded her presence completely while continuing the attempts to destroy the shield. Konekomaru exhaled and called Shiemi back to the group. "Perfect, thank you! The seal seems to be effective, so here's what we are going to do…"

Shiemi and Izumo ran off to the patient rooms. Or rather, floundered towards it - Shiemi's fungus was so effective that both girls were almost knee-deep in dead insect remains. The stink was overwhelming and the crunching under their feet sickening. "This is the worst mission ever!" Izumo cringed and grimaced at the sight of the locusts' strangely shrunken and twisted bodies covered by the green and gray substance. The two exorcists quickly approached the patients and drew the strange symbol, which Konekomaru had copied down on a piece of paper for them, on their foreheads. "Look! They really are retreating!" Shiemi pointed enthusiastically, as the locusts slowly but surely left the room. "Great, let's move on then. We need to find the others." Izumo urged, tiredness catching up with her. _"To think that I had to call off my familiars due to my weakening body... Stupid venom! Stupid locust-scorpion mutants! I will not faint here! Not a chance in hell!"_

The group continued on with the task, until they reached the bottomless pit. "The Abyss!" Bon bellowed with disbelief. Konekomaru trembled with fear but tried to remain calm. "So it seems…" The locusts pushed through, towards the ceiling and flew above them. "Look! Over there!" Shiemi suddenly pointed with her finger across the pit. "What is it?" Izumo's brows furrowed in concentration. "I think I saw Rin and Thea. They are on the other side!" "How on Earth did they end up on the other side? The pit is so wide!" Bon got his answer almost instantly - the floor under his feet shimmered and he had to jump back, as the rim fell apart and gave way to the blackness. "It's spreading!" Izumo exclaimed. "Konekomaru, what about the Fatal verse? Is there anything we can do to close it?" The young Exwire pursed his lips. "I… I have no idea…" he gulped. "Whatever shall we do?"

"I believe you all have already done everything in your power, Mr. Miwa. Most remarkable feat, by the way, especially the Seal of God." a sonorous voice of their headmaster answered, and the demon appeared in front of them in a flash of white. "However, closing The Abyss is a feat only a handful of living exorcists can attempt. Starting with the Arc Knights, to be precise." "What?! But that's right under the Paladin! Only four people bear that title!" Bon blurted out, but Mephisto just smirked. "Well, that would meet the definition of 'handful'. No need to beat yourself up over this, you are still in training, after all. Now then, if you excuse me…" he turned on his heel, outstretched his arms and, facing the bottomless pit, started chanting. "What is he saying? I don't understand a word…" Izumo asked, perplexed. "I think… that it might be the demonic language…" Konekomaru stared, his mouth opening and closing, as if trying to process what was happening. _"What is going on… The headmaster seldom appears to personally oversee the place of a demonic attack. Then again, he did say that only a handful of people could actually pull this off… Still, the look in his eyes... gave me the creeps."_ "H-he looks almost… angry…" Shiemi voiced his exact thought.

To say that the Lord of Time was angry would be an underestimation. He was _enraged_ \- in his own, cold-hearted, composed way. _"To think that that imbecile would go so far as to open The Abyss! I did expect some kind of foolishness from him, but this?!"_ His thoughts took a sinister direction and he had to consciously concentrate on keeping his barrier in check, lest he wanted to crush his students with its tremendous pressure. "You will return to your realm this instant!" he ordered after he finished the incantation. The disgusting misfit creatures - Abaddon's Apocalypse Riders - looked at him in defiance. "Our masssster commandsss otherwissse." one of them screeched, causing the demon lord's eyes to narrow at the insolence. "And, as the master of your master, _I_ command you to return." he let a portion of his aura through his barrier, allowing his demonic features to manifest. "Sssamael!" one creature hissed in what could be compared to astonishment. "My Lord! Ffforgive usss. We had ordersss." "I have no doubts about that. Now get out of my sight. My mood is not particularly merciful today." he bit off, titling his head. "Offf courssse, we ssshall obey." another one stepped away. "Your Graccce, beware offf the human with ardent light. Ssshe isss dangerousss." the next one seeped and Mephisto narrowed his eyes at the strange warning. "Sshe killsss. Beware!" it retreated slowly back to the Abyss.

The bottomless pit closed, as the last of his kind disappeared to Gehenna, and with them, the rest of the locusts and the nauseating smell of rot and plague. Unfortunately, Mephisto's sensitive nose was graced by another sickening smell. The smell of blood. _Her_ blood. _Too much_ of her blood. He closed the distance between them in a swift time-space shift. Completely unnecessary action, of course, but he had a strong urge to vent his energy, to use it in some way... Rin was crouching on the ground, breathing heavily, his tail twitching nervously. Upon a closer look, the half-demon was pushing at Thea's shoulder, trying to stop it from bleeding. "Mephisto? You are here? Damn you, why so late?! She needs help!" he snapped at the demon, then coughed out some blood. The girl turned her head slowly, resting her beautiful chocolate-brown eyes on the demon. "Sir Pheles…" she exhaled and smiled "... nice to see you."

No matter how relieved Mephisto was to see that beautiful smile, his temper went from enraged to infuriated at the sight of her state; the thought of paying a visit to Gehenna and blowing off some steam was getting more and more tempting. "Mephisto! Quick!" Rin urged. "Rin… it's OK… it's not that serious." she said, trying to calm her breathing. "The Doctors will be here shortly." the demon said and then knelt in front of them. "You can leave her in my care now, little brother. That body of yours needs some rest, as well. Demon locust venom is incredibly potent." The demon lord said without taking his eyes from the girl on the floor. "It's not that bad, she healed the wound somehow." Mephisto rolled his eyes inwardly. _"Of course, she did… and used up all of her power on that..."_ "No, Rin." the blonde started. "Go see the Doctors. I… I cannot heal the venom… yet." she tried to explain, but Mephisto stepped in. "You heard the lady, let the Doctors take a look at it. And while you are at it, be so kind and send some of them over here and to Miss Kamiki. I gather she has been stung, as well." Rin nodded reluctantly and pushed Thea gently towards Mephisto.

"Rin! Thea!" The Exwires came rushing towards their friends, meeting Rin first. "You made it out alive!" "Yeah, thanks to you guys! What did you do? It was so… oh boy…" Rin stopped mid-sentence as a wave of nausea and drowsiness hit him. He put a hand over his mouth. "Yeah, welcome to my world." Izumo grinned a little from her crouching position on the ground, while fighting the same terrible urge to puke. Bon pat her on the back gently. "Just a little longer." "Rin!" Shiemi came running towards her beaten-up friend. "It will be fine; the Doctors are here. And Yuki, too!" she reassured, trying to support him. The Doctors started running through the long floor, checking on the Exwires and the regular patients. "What about Thea? She was right there with you, wasn't she?" Konekomaru asked. "She's over there with Mephisto…" Rin pointed towards the headmaster. "He stayed to keep some pressure on her wound…"

"Easy there." Mephisto slid one hand under Thea's head and pushed with his other hand on the terrible wound on her shoulder, the blood slowly soaking it. She winced a little at that, but then eased. "Honestly, Miss Thea. When looking at the smear of blood on the floor, I can't help but wonder - you could have come up with a less devastating excuse for asking for another dose of blueberry juice." he grinned. "And you could have… shared your secret provider of… disinsectization services with this hospital. Make it deratization and disinfection, too, just in… just in case." she smiled faintly and Mephisto couldn't help but chuckle. _"Seems like someone still has enough energy to jest. Good."_ he thought with relief. Thea turned her face slightly away from him, murmuring. "And regarding the… the blueberry juice - why risk it, when I have already discovered a way that is well worth it…" she finished, her cheeks slightly pink on her pale face, as she remembered their last encounter in the Academy gardens. _"Annoying demon, fooling around like that… First he kisses me... or, well, kind of kisses me... whatever that was, then he disappears into the thin air without a word!_ she thought, the strange 'kiss' she had received from the demon flushing in her mind. Not to mention how completely puzzled and embarrassed she had been about how much she had actually liked it. And how much she wished it to repeat... _"Gosh, I am such an idiot - I am laying here, in a puddle of my own blood, and the only thing I can think of is him! Still, it is... really nice to see him again…"_

"Miss Thea, …" the demon started, but the blonde's eyes suddenly grew wide, searching. "Sir Pheles, the patients!" "Here we go again… The Doctors are here, Miss Thea. Let them do their work now. The patients will be…" the demon trailed off as he felt the girl's hand on his tie. "No, please listen. Some of them… it might be too late. I can feel their auras. They are too exhausted. They won't make it…" she seemed a little panicked and tried to sit up. "You really are one troublesome little lady. Stay put. There has already been enough foolishness for today." he pinned her with a firm look. His forest-green eyes met her chocolate-brown. A command met a plea. _"Dear Lord, she would probably attempt to go and heal them all! You are one oblivious, foolish, little… absolutely enchanting, breathtaking, unique human being..."_ Mephisto exhaled, closed his eyes in concentration and whispered "Null. Verweile noch."

When he opened them again, his breath caught in his throat. "Miss Thea... what's the matter?" His eyes swiftly searched for any sign of injuries he might have overlooked. Tears rolled down the blonde's cheeks and her uninjured arm suddenly wrapped around his neck while she buried her face into his neck. "Danke, Mephisto. Danke!" she whispered. She didn't really ask him to, she couldn't offer anything in return for their lives. He wasn't in any way obliged to fulfill her wish. And yet, she knew what he did for them. She could feel the patient's auras stabilize. They remained unchanging, frozen in time - until the Doctors would arrive to treat them... Thea clung to the demon, trying to convey her gratitude in, hopefully, not too inconvenient and daring way. She simply couldn't muster the energy for more words. And somewhere deep down in her heart, she felt the huge walls around it fall, as the demon pulled her into embrace, burying his face into her golden locks.

The strange, peaceful moment was suddenly interrupted by one of the Doctors who finally found her way to the far end of the long corridor. Mephisto exhaled, reluctant to let go of the girl, but then he carefully lifted Thea to the litter, adopting his nonchalant demeanor again. "You should know dear, that it was in fact your classmates who saved the patients - the Seal of God proved most effective." he said, stepping away, revealing the group of Exwires. "Thank you so much, you guys." Thea breathed out. "That's just fine. You did great, too - it was a team effort!" Bon grinned, a little pale and exhausted, but certainly in a better condition than poor Izumo, who was now laying on a litter as well. "That's right, we did it. We solved the problem, no more trouble." Konekomaru nodded encouragingly. Thea grimaced strangely at that last remark. "I am afraid that the trouble is not over yet…" "What do you mean?" Shiemi inquired, voicing Mephisto's exact question. Thea covered her embarrassed face with her uninjured hand. "I used my… my bag to distract the demons from Rin. It fell right into that pit, with all my things in it! Oh God, I can see that already - 'Professor Isao, I am sorry, but if you want to check my seminar thesis, go to hell… You know, 'cause that's where I threw it.'" she finished, and a wave of joyful laugh followed...

OoO

"Well, Abaddon? I am listening." Mephisto intertwined his fingers and leaned closer from behind the huge carved desk in his office. The red-haired demon twitched - there was something… particularly unnerving about his 'master's' demeanor that night. "Sire, I only did as you requested." he started in that polite, degrading servant tone, while anger boiled inside of him. "Oh?" the demon lord arched an eyebrow at that statement. "Well, it was a test, of course. The whole group of your Exwires was present, a barrier was erected around the designated training area and medical support was at hand. The challenges presented, in my humble opinion, a balanced variety of targets and fulfilled their purpose." Abaddon reported, his head still slightly bowed. A sniff was his answer. "The only thing you tested were the boundaries of my patience with your borderline actions." The Duke of Abyss looked up and froze at the sinister expression on the face of The Lord of Time.

"Sire, I have no idea…" the duke started, only to be cut off by a chuckle. "Oh, don't belittle yourself, you have a perfect idea." he pinned him with a firm gaze. "Listen carefully, Abaddon, for you are walking on a very thin ice." Mephisto stood up, slowly walking towards the red-haired demon. "You are here, because I found the punishment my brother had in mind for you most wasteful. You got the chance to make yourself useful for a change. Instead, you continued to settle your petty personal grudges." he spoke smoothly, deliberately, putting down his tie and gloves in the process. "The way I see it - had I been but one minute late, they would all have been dead, Seal of God or not." he slowly disrobed his jacket and rolled up the sleeves on his shirt. "That one minute shall be your punishment." he snapped his fingers and a small stopwatch appeared in his hand. "This is not a warning, mind you. You had a warning already. This is… _a sample_." an evil grin appeared on his face as he pushed the button on the stopwatch and cracked his neck in anticipation, then hurled Abaddon to his personal piece of hell.

OoO

Cries echoed through the vast place Abaddon had been casted to, the bones in his body breaking at the impact of all the punches and tosses he received. The Lord of Time was standing in front of him with a smug, vicious grin on his face. "Now, now, Abaddon, do not make this so boring for me." he chastised, following up with his claws piercing the duke's shoulder. The red-haired demon gritted his teeth in anticipation - he knew that the demon would aim for his left shoulder again, whatever the reason… Another cry escaped his throat as he felt the flesh being ripped apart. "Stop it already! How long has this madness been going on?!" Abaddon found himself on the verge of begging - a thought that would have never crossed his mind. "Not long enough, if you ask me." Mephisto's lips curled into a smile, his fangs flashing. The Duke of Abyss growled - years must have passed by now, about ten if he was not mistaken… However, he didn't even get the time to think about it, for his 'master' launched another attack. He did that sometimes, over the long years - the demon Lord would show up personally to punish his actions, only to leave him to be ripped apart by the Dark Matter again...

Mephisto grinned in satisfaction - he strongly favored the subtle, gentlemanly approach in his fights, however, there were certain occasions, which required a more... direct approach. Not to mention the beautiful, exhilarating feeling of using his raw demon strength from time to time. _"Time to prepare something more inventive for my guest…"_ the Lord of Time thought, as he felt the stopwatch he had left on his office desk click, signaling the tenth second that had just passed in Assiah…

OoO

The Lord of Time and the Duke of Abyss appeared in the huge principal's office in the True Cross Academy at the moment the stopwatch alarm sounded. "Now then…" Mephisto towered above the beaten-up, sixty years older servant "...if you continue to ignore my direct orders and fool around in Assiah, I will personally make sure that the time you will spend awaiting the return of your title and privileges will feel like eternity." he threatened in an ice-cold voice. "Have I expressed myself clear enough?" The red-haired demon gulped, sweat running down his spine. "Perfectly, Sire." "Splendid. You are dismissed." Mephisto grinned and waved the demon off.

OoO

As soon as Abaddon left, Mephisto clasped his hands behind his back. "Gin." he called out and a middle-aged man with short, neatly combed hair, appeared at his side. This nondescript, average-looking man was Sir Faust's secretary. And he was also Mephisto's livelong eyes and ears in Gehenna, his ability to perfectly cloak his presence making him the ideal individual for the kind of job. "You will travel to Abaddon's realm. Follow his Apocalypse Riders and find out the details about today's attack." The secretary nodded. "Is there any specific piece of information you are searching for, Samael?" The demon inclined his head. "Listen for the mentions of 'ardent light'." Gin raised one eyebrow. "Ardent light? I am not familiar with that term." "It is not exactly a term as of yet. However, I have the suspicion that it will soon become one... It is how one of the Riders described the power of one of our students - Althea Heilbrunn."

"Ah, right. That charming blonde lady, is it?" Gin grinned, rubbing his beard, casting meaningful looks at Mephisto. The headmaster shot him an annoyed stare, which earned the Lord of Time another laugh from his supposed servant. "Are you done? As far as I remember, I sent you on a mission." "And I shall obey, my lord." he said almost mockingly, his lips twitching. "Might I add a piece of advice before my departure?" Mephisto sighed. "If you keep it brief, unlike your reports of our board meetings, then by all means." Gin smirked. "And here I thought I did a good job on those. Honestly, Samael… If you are this irritable already, then I suggest you take vacation. Or even better, go pay the lady a visit. That always seems to calm you down. I can't believe I still bother with the calming tea… Speaking of which, I left a serving with some sweets in the guest room. I'll be off now." he said almost enthusiastically, then bowed and disappeared. Mephisto's eye twitched. _"I swear that old man's attitude is getting more and more irritating…"_ The demon was older than Mephisto himself and had taught him a thing or two as well. He was probably the closest thing to a friend, if he was to put it in the human terms. The least he could offer in return for his lifelong servitude and loyalty was the strange companionship they shared. He would also occasionally suffer through his annoying remarks… _"Irritable, am I?"_ he shook his head and then smirked. _"Well, I was never known for refusing sound advice…"_

OoO

Abaddon paced, locusts flying in circles all around him. He had already gone through the long list of colorful names he had for that poor excuse of a demon who dared to call himself his 'master'. The list of things he had planned for Samael's oh-so-precious humans, however, was far more interesting. _"He will pay for all he put me through during those sixty years! He prepared a personal hell for me… Well, I - I will prepare a special kind of hell for his brats."_ One human in particular needed his extra attention, though. He turned towards one of his Riders. "And? Found anything yet? Speak!" The misfit demon with body of a locust and human face full of sharp teeth bowed even lower. "Massster, I ssswear it on my demon heart. Three offf my vasssalsss have not arisssen. Their esssence isss nowhere to be fffound." Abaddon's mind raced furiously. _"So, I was right, after all. There really is something to gain from that filthy wench. Never in my long existence have I heard of such power, though… How is that even possible? For her to actually_ kill _a demon… The mere thought of it is just preposterous! Still, I need to be certain, before I make any move…"_ the duke eyed his servant. "Continue the search. And Satan's own mercy will be upon you, if you ever speak of this to a soul! Go!" The creature bowed again and scrambled away. _"At least some of them remained loyal…"_ he thought, grimacing at another Rider who had been foolish enough to offer Mephisto a kind warning. Terrible screeches echoed through his makeshift liar in Gehenna, as its wings were being torn apart. They sounded like a sweet melody to his ears, partially calming his internal rage. Usually, he would just release his swarm upon Assiah and reap the energy from the despair and suffering of the Earth itself. That one realm called 'Africa' was one of his favourites. However, ever since Samael became his 'master', Abaddon had been ordered to cease all entertaining activities. The red-haired demon clenched his fists, eyes flickering with crimson color. _"Just you wait, Samael! I will bring you down with your own weapon!"_

OoO

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**Disclaimer:** Blue Exorcists belongs to Kazue Katō. Please, do not re-post or publish my story without my consent.

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**Author's note:** Hi All! New chapter is out and I am quite pleased with the results :) Hope you will enjoy the reading at least as much as I enjoyed the writing! Just for the record, I had to do some research for this chapter and my oh my, Bible is one scary book :D I could have never even imagined all the creatures described there, but it sure was inspirational. Just google "Abaddon locuts" in pictures, I dare you! :D

P.S. Thank you all for the subscriptions and follows ^^ It makes me really happy to know that you people like it. Feel free to drop a PM or a comment, I am eager to hear your opinion and better myself :)


	11. To swoon a future Dragoon

"I thought that your goal was to achieve Doctor class, Miss Heilbrunn." the young teacher adjusted his glasses, a slight confusion visible on his face. "Oh, I am, Mr. Okumura. I mean, I have been studying medicine, so it would make a perfect sense to pursue the same specialization here." the blonde confirmed, nodding her head. "I meant it as additional mastery. Kind of like, well, you." Yukio arched his eyebrows in surprise. "And what is the reason behind this sudden request?" "It's just that I think it is important that I can not only heal, but also protect myself during a fight." "Do you not trust your teammates to protect you, then?" Yukio inquired further, trying to determine his student's motivations. Thea's eyes widened at that remark. "No, that is not at all what I meant. I _do_ trust them to protect me and I can also take care of myself, but only to a certain extent. What I need is more flexibility. The last encounter in the hospital taught me that the reality can be... a lot different than the ideal theoretical situation - how Doctors stay far behind the front lines, protected and safe to do their job." the blonde cringed a little at that memory, unknowingly reaching for her left shoulder, which was now fully healed together with the rest of her injuries. She had used up all of her energy two days ago during the fight in the Tokyo University Hospital, meaning that her powers had taken longer to recover than usual. _"To think that I only managed to fully heal that shoulder yesterday evening… Oh well, at least I had the chance to put those miraculous red pills in use. And I know now to keep some of my powers in reserve for emergencies."_ she thought and then continued, hoping to convince her teacher into allowing her to further her studies at the Academy.

"To be completely honest, I came to _you_ , because I thought that if anyone could understand, it would be you - Meister Doctor _and_ Meister Dragoon. I know that I am still very new at this, but in that short while, I found myself in too many dangerous situations with nothing but my healing powers. My teammates will not always be there, and I can only do so much to ward off the demons. Also, doctors are mostly needed on the end of a fight, not on its beginning or during an encounter. I… I just do not want to end up sitting around doing nothing. I want to be able to take initiative, too, should the situation require it. So, please, Mr. Okumura..." The young teacher exhaled, then stood up from behind his desk, folding his arms. "Well, to be completely honest…" he smiled, borrowing her phrase "...I would normally advise against it. _Strongly_. Visiting a set of classes of an additional mastery presents many challenges, not to mention the workload. However, 'very new' does not accurately describe neither your skills, nor your knowledge level in regard to demons, Miss Heilbrunn. It looks like you are an exception in quite many ways already." the teacher shook his head, remembering the first time he had met Thea - he could have sworn she had been a full-fledged Doctor. "Also, I think you are one of the students capable enough to pull this off. _If_ you work hard enough, of course."

Thea's eyes sparked with anticipation and excitement, and she bowed quickly. "Thank you so much for this opportunity, Mr. Okumura! I won't let you down." "And I will make sure to support you and offer my best guidance." he said encouragingly. "Now, why would you choose Dragoon? There are other classes, after all." Nodding, the blonde started counting out. "Well, Tamer is out of question I think since I have still not managed to summon a single familiar. I believe it is a matter of talent, a rare talent, which I do not possess. I don't think I could go for a Knight, either - I am quite good at sports, but I lack the body strength and agility necessary for martial arts. At first, I was seriously considering Aria, because I can memorize tons of information, but memorizing stuff and understanding it is not the same as reciting it word for word, not to mention in combat. During the fight in the hospital, I only used a few most basic incantations and well… I am a little ashamed to admit this, but it never even occurred to me to search for the Fatal Verse. For a while there, I was considering that binding circle you had taught us a few weeks ago, but I couldn't see myself actually casting it in all that rush, my instincts were telling me to move, to do something more… 'active'. Maybe it is about practice or about the right mindset, but I just cannot concentrate enough to recite the incantations and spells while in combat. I need something fast, precise and instant." she finished with an audible exhale.

"I am glad to hear that you have already given this a lot of thought, Miss Heilbrunn." Yukio scratched his chin, nodding in approval. "Yes, that would leave us with the Dragoon-option..." The teacher considered, eying the blonde apprehensively. "Very well, let me check with my colleagues. I will come back to you as soon as everything's been arranged." he could already see the blonde's expression brighten at the notion. "Thank you, Mr. Okumura! This truly means a lot to me. Uhm, could you tell me how it is - being a Doctor and a Dragoon at the same time?" Thea asked curiously, looking at her unbelievably young and unbelievably capable teacher. He chuckled a little and patted the gun in the holster attached to his uniform in a familiar gesture. "Let's say it like this - it is shooting the enemy while being able to name every bone and muscle the bullet pierced. And patch it up together afterwards, should the situation call for it." his lips curled up.

"I see… so, you must also know how to shoot so that the injury will not be necessarily fatal, right? How does it even work with demons? Not all of them have human anatomy, after all… Oh, does it mean that you also learnt special demon anatomy? And how do you…" Yukio lifted his right hand in order to make his curious student stop from bombarding him with further questions. "Miss Heilbrunn, please. There will be enough time to answer all of your questions, but my lesson starts soon." "Oh, right! Sorry, I will be going now. Thank you again for your time, Mr. Okumura. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon." She tried to bottle up her excitement a little and act like a composed, calm adult she was, but her every step was so cheerful that she was looking almost as if she were flying.

"Oh, one more thing." the enthusiastic blonde paused at the door. "Do you know when Sir Pheles will return from his trip abroad?" Yukio frowned thoughtfully. It was not very common that people would willingly seek out their demon headmaster. And then, even he, one of the staff, was informed about Mephisto's sudden departure to the States only briefly - by a note left on a piece of paper written with a crayon of a ridiculously pink color… "Unfortunately, I do not know, Miss Heilbrunn. After all, our headmaster is a very busy man… He mentioned a couple of days, but he tends to be quite unpredictable, especially regarding time. Is there anything I should convey to him once he returns?" "Ah, not really, I'll just drop by some other time." she smiled and left the room.

 _"_ _Well, maybe next time…"_ Thea sighed, scratching her head, a little puzzled about her own actions - why would she even ask about that annoying demon? _"No. Stop thinking about him already. Seriously, what is wrong with you?"_ she mentally scolded herself for letting her thoughts wander to Mephisto again. She had truly believed that he would visit her in the hospital wing, just like the last time. _"Oh, come on already, Thea! That was just that 'playful demon nature' of his - as he himself put it. He was just playing around… Why on Earth would he want to have anything to do with you?"_ the girl shook her head, feeling a pang of shame for even thinking that there could be something more behind his actions towards her. No, she would not think about him! After all, she really needed to focus on her thesis - after the Abyss had swallowed her laptop and with it the long months of tremendous work, she had to start writing the whole thing anew. _"Tsk… imagine that - the first ones to read my thesis might actually be demons! How crazy is that?! Serves them well, though - the anesthesiology notes fell down as well, not to mention the notes on public healthcare systems. Those demons will only now learn what pure hell is."_ she smiled almost devilishly and made her way towards the dorms.

OoO

"Or maybe the blue dress instead of the tank top and rock? Hm? Thea, are you listening?" Ayami frowned at her absent-minded roommate. "Oh, uhm… I don't really know, Ayami. Where did you say you two were planning to go?" Thea scratched her head nervously and put on one of her most sheepish looks - she really wasn't paying her friend any attention. "Sheesh, Thea, you are so distracted today… We are going to the movies - which was _your_ idea, by the way." "Ah, right. Movies. Well, both outfits are just fine. Maybe the dress? Because it… uhm… it matches your eyes?" the blonde shrugged, completely oblivious to the current fashion trends. "Right… Ah, why do I even bother asking you about anything related to clothes? I bet you would be thousand times more enthusiastic if I was asking you about cookies." Ayami frowned, shaking her head disapprovingly. "Huh? Did you say cookies?" Thea suddenly perked up and giggled. "You are hopeless…" "Oh, come on, Ayami. I was just teasing you. Listen, I am totally happy that you and Toshiro are finally together. I will gladly suggest date ideas or give you some space when you two want to be alone. Why, I even give you tips on the best cookies to share together, but I honestly have no idea about what is fashionable or not right now. Not that I don't have any fashion sense, but seriously now, I can't name _half_ of the things in your closet..." she pointed at the huge wardrobe which occupied a large portion of Ayami's room.

Ayami smiled at that comment and picked the blue dress with a satisfied nod. "Well, I can't argue with that." she smirked and began putting it on, never leaving her eyes from the tall mirror in the corner of the room. "The movie _was_ a good idea, though. Thanks. Speaking of date ideas, I would have one. How about you come with us?" "Nah, thank you. I've got better things to do than tag along as a third wheel and spoil your lowy-dowy date." the blonde pointed to her laptop - she was set to find an activity to fully occupy her mind, which was not that difficult of a task considering her studies. Restoring the contents of her lost thesis was certainly a good starting point. _"And this time, I will make sure to save it to the cloud, too. USB backup is a great thing, unless you happen to keep it in the same bag as the laptop..."_

"That's not what I meant, silly. I meant a double-date, of course. Why don't you and that 'gentleman' of yours join us?" the raven-haired girl said encouragingly, fetching some accessories to go with the dress from her desk, only to be interrupted by a loud noise. "What in the… Thea, are you OK?" Her friend was pushing herself from the ground and setting the chair back on its legs, mumbling something about 'annoying man'? "I am fine, I am fine. I shouldn't have rocked on that chair… Anyways, I am _not_ calling him to a double-date." "Why not?" Thea just gaped at that blunt suggestion. "Well, first of all, you need to be _dating_ someone to go to a double date. And second, he's abroad at the moment, so even if I wanted to, he couldn't come, and I don't really know when he returns or if he would like to come and… and that pretty much covers it." the blonde muttered in a strangely solemn voice.

"OMG, Thea, I knew it! You've got a thing for that guy! So, there really _is_ something going on between you two! You have to tell me..." Ayami started chirping and fawning all over while Thea just stood with her mouth open, completely confused. "Which of the words I just said gave you the impression that there is _anything_ between us?" "That's easy. You know his whereabouts, which means you pay attention to him. Also, this is the first time I heard you even _consider_ going out with him. And last but not least, I finally know why you have been so sulky and grumpy today." "Whoa there, I am not grumpy or anything…" Thea waved her hands defensively in front of her, trying to dismiss that notion. "Oh, you are. You haven't even touched your cocoa yet - and you _always_ drink your cocoa. You know what I think? He's somewhere far away and you _miss_ him, so you are sulking. And you miss him because you actually _like_ him!" Ayami crossed her hands to give her words more weight, casting her friend meaningful glances.

Thea's eyes widened in surprise and her breath caught in her throat. _"I… miss him? Like him? That's just… impossible… right?"_ Her head was suddenly filled with so many thoughts of Mephisto, her heart overflowing with confusingly contrasting yet complementing emotions - all mixing together into one absolutely crazy, overwhelming realization. "I... I do?" the blonde said aloud without even noticing, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Oh God…" Thea started panicking, beginning to fully understand the implications, only to be interrupted by her cheerful roommate. "Pfff… Thea, for someone so smart, you can be really dense, you know it? Hopeless. Just hopeless." Ayami burst out to laughter, holding her stomach. "You should see your face - priceless! But seriously, girl, go for it! It's been about time you found someone decent."

"No, Ayami, you don't understand… That's just crazy. I couldn't possibly…" the blonde stuttered, unable to form a coherent sentence. "Oh please, why not? He is obviously interested in you." "More like interested in fooling around I am afraid…" Thea argued back, shaking her head. "I don't think so - he wouldn't have called and checked on you in the hospital if he only wanted to fool around. That's just too much unnecessary trouble. And he wouldn't have recommended that beetroot juice or ask about your favorite swe…" Ayami couldn't even finish the counting as Thea's perplexed voice cut in. "Wait a moment - _he_ was the one behind that crazy idea with beetroot?!" "Well, yeah. But he meant well, and he changed it to the blueberry flavor, because he said you liked that one better, so…" A wave of embarrassment washed over Thea as she remembered the reason for why exactly she loved the blueberry version so much more, but she demanded further. "When did you even talk about all of this? How come you guys are so much in touch? Not even I have his phone number, so how come you seem to chat and…" another burst of laughter followed, before Thea could finish her sentence.

"Pfff… you _finally_ asked. Ah, that's between him and me really. But no need to be jealous - he only calls because of you. Here, I will send you his phone number - use it wisely." Ayami winked mischievously and Thea couldn't help but notice a very strange resemblance between her friend in 'dating mode' and Mephisto 'the schemer'. She felt as if those two really did gang up on her. _"Wait a minute, Mephisto is the scheming one, right? Not Ayami. She only tends to get quite overboard with everything that concerns dating, why would she try so hard to bring exactly the two of us together? I mean, she always tries to find me a boyfriend, but she is so serious about this. That just seems so…"_ the blonde acted without a second thought - she stood up and grabbed her friend at her shoulders, looking her deep in the eyes, searching for any signs of a spell or demonic possession. She would feel Mephisto's magic, right?

"Ehm, Thea? What's the matter?" came a nervous question from her shocked roommate. Thea couldn't feel anything out of the ordinary, neither a speck of demonic powers, nor the strangely clouded mind which came with manipulative spells placed on an individual. Ayami seemed to be just fine, if she did not count the slightly low blood pressure, that is. "Ah, sorry, I just wanted to thank you for looking out for me." the blonde said nervously, feigning that she intended to give her a hug from the start. _"Jesus, why am I so paranoid? Is it really all so unbelievable? To think that Ayami was under some spell… Or maybe... Is it_ me _who is under a spell? No, he wouldn't dare… or would he? Aaargh, I am going nuts… Annoying demon!"_

"Aaaw, Thea, that's what friends are for, right?" Assuming a cheerful attitude once again, Ayami disregarded the strange reaction and was already completely immersed in thoughts about Toshiro and their date. "But I really have to go now, I do not want to miss my date. Don't expect me today, I am staying at Toshiro's flat, but we can definitely chat tomorrow. Who knows, maybe this is good for you and you will have some time to think things through." the raven-haired girl smiled and left Thea to face the crazy battle which was raging inside her head. _"I can't like_ him _! - Sure you can. He's interesting, cunning, handsome, powerful, even funny, not to mention with excellent taste when it comes to sweets. Need I go on? - He's a_ demon _! - But you promised yourself to give them a chance. - Yes, to give them a chance, to get to know them, not to_ date _them or… or… - Well, then you might just get to know him very close… - Are you crazy? That's insane! - Maybe… But you are too curious to let this go, right? - Yeah, my assumption is now confirmed. Talking with myself in my head… I_ am _going nuts...!"_

OoO

 _"_ _Honestly, when will those fools learn? Assiah is_ mine _to rule."_ the Lord of Time shook his head, but then disregarded the notion quickly, silently wondering why he would ever expect his kin to act any different. He had been putting off that unpleasant task long enough, and the time had finally come to remind Mammon about the importance of subtlety - thus his seemingly sudden trip to the US. _"Thea was right, that 'greedy bastard' was becoming too obvious, indeed."_ he smirked, remembering the well-fitting nickname Thea had come up with when she had first mentioned the western 'evangelist'. Well, if the Duke wanted the permission to stay in Assiah extended, he would need to play by _Mephisto's_ rules. Oh, Mammon was still free to continue to play a spiritual leader - after all, humans had every right to choose what they believed and Mephisto would surely not take _that_ decision away from them, if only for the pure thrill of irony when they chose a demon to show them the path to salvation.

However, any demons the Lord of Time allowed to stay in Assiah were obliged to obey a set of simple rules, one of which was to avoid suspicion and attention - a feat that inevitably became too difficult to accomplish for someone as big headed and greedy as, well, the Duke of Greed. _"Still, at least Mammon has enough wits to actually abide by my terms…_ " a vicious grin crept upon Mephisto's face at the memory of that one minute he had spent teaching Abaddon a lesson in obedience. Hopefully, the Duke of Abyss would learn from the little sample of torture which would wait for him, should he overstep the boundaries once again. _"Well, for now, his only order is not to step a foot in Assiah until further notice. Let us see how he fares, then…"_

All in all, it took the demon five long days abroad to deal with most of his troublesome fellow kin, but at last, his job was done, and he could finally move on to the next one at hand. Mephisto shifted through time and space, leaving the US for the more familiar environment of Europe. The Vatican, currently the only center of organized exorcism activities on the whole continent, was his next meeting point. A displeased snort was all the acknowledgement this place would get from him. After all, this was the very residence of the Grigori - the group of Watchers representing the holy side of the endless power struggle between good and evil. Or, the group whose ultimate goal seemed to be making Mephisto's life miserable and his efforts wasteful. Not that the lot has ever come any near to succeeding, of course. _"They are growing inpatient, though."_ Mephisto thought, fully aware of how much they pushed to speed up Rin's exorcism training. _"Well, with the threat of another Gehenna gate opening, it is not that surprising…"_ he concluded. His wager with the Grigori had been simple, really - they had graciously spared Rin's life, so that he could be trained; and had been waiting ever since for the time to show whether the Son of Satan turns out to become the Demon King of Gehenna or The Savior of Assiah.

Mephisto's musings were interrupted, as a familiar figure stepped out from one of the richly ornamented, historical buildings. The middle-aged nondescript man with neatly combed hair walked through the plaza, his appearance so average that none of the passerby would have spared him a second glance, had he not been wearing a black cassock. And so, instead of ignoring the man, the people strolling through the square stopped by to nod respectfully, receiving a charming smile and a blessing in return. The Lord of Time rolled his eyes, but smirked, straightening his own soutane - Gin sure had the most intriguing ideas for hiding in plain sight. "Samael." the man nodded to the demon politely. "What an… unusual place to meet, Sire. Have you, by any chance, got inspired by Mammon and decided to take the path of a holy man, as well?" the man's lips bore a hint of smile, and Mephisto couldn't help but grin at that implication. "Although I do like the irony, I prefer the company of cute young students in well-fitting uniforms, rather than old men in soutanes." The demons shared an amused glance and fell into a slow, inconspicuous stroll through the streets, their black robes rustling around their feet. Mephisto had to admit that promenading right under Grigori's noses while also imposing as their very own staff had an amusing, irresistible feel to it.

Despite the casual, unrushed demeanor, however, there was urgency in Mephisto's words. The secret message he had received from Gin a few minutes ago had been surprisingly brief and cryptic, and what was more, it also called for a personal meeting, which was in strong contrast with his spies' usual mission reports. "Speaking of cute young students - I understand you bring news about one in particular?" Gin nodded with a strange mix of urgency and concern. "I came to warn you, Samael - the situation is more serious than I thought. You might need to keep a closer eye on Miss Heilbrunn." "Is she in danger?" his master asked with alert, his body tensing. "Not yet, I believe. As a matter of fact, it was never mentioned during my investigation that the girl is to be harmed or even approached. Quite the opposite actually, and _that_ is what concerns me." "I see. They are waiting for the right time, then. Gathering intel perhaps?" Mephisto concluded instantly, his look becoming focused.

"Indeed. It seems that some demons of Abaddon's realm remained loyal to their master and were sent off to search the Abyss in order to locate something for him. It must be incredibly important, for the Riders themselves are employed in the searching groups instead of guarding Abaddon's territories. The whole action is running with great urgency, but also in utmost secrecy." the older demon trailed off and a most disappointed expression settled on his face. "I see, you don't know what they are searching for yet." Gin grimaced - his input was valuable, but he was not used to returning from his missions before securing full intel, before learning the whole story. However, his instincts had been telling him, _yelling_ at him, to bring at least the scraps he had managed to overhear. "Actually, I was hoping you might be able to help me with that particular problem. The Riders… they seem to be avoiding even speaking about it. As if they were scared of what they might find. I still have no idea what that item of interest might be, but it is definitely somehow linked to Miss Heilbrunn. Is there anything that the young Miss might have lost in Gehenna during the last attack?"

Mephisto stroked his beard in thought. "The only thing that was lost during the attack was her rucksack which fell down the Abyss together with her laptop and some other personal possessions. I seriously doubt that there was anything of value to our race but see if you can locate it before the Raiders do. Here, this is how it looks." Gin frowned as his master pulled out his cell phone and showed him a picture of the blonde with a dark blue bag at her back - the photo had obviously been taken without her knowing. "Samael, with all due respect… it's a _rucksack -_ it will most probably be the only such item in the whole Gehenna, so there is no need to share a description. Also, Miss Heilbrunn probably won't be too happy should she learn that you are stalking her." Mephisto made a face and something almost similar to a blush appeared on his cheeks - of course that must have been only Gin's imagination - then his lips curled into a particularly disturbing smile. "Then it will be for the best for _everyone_ that she doesn't learn. Wouldn't you agree, Gin?" "I couldn't agree more, Sir." Gin smiled, amusement playing in his eyes.

"Ah, by the way, you were right. The word 'ardent' came up in a most interesting combination when I overheard one of the patrols. It seems that your charming lady is now referred to as 'The Ardent Exorcist'." Mephisto's expression brightened, despite the weight of the situation. "How very poetic. I find it almost hard to believe that it came from the minds of those brutes..." "I knew you would appreciate it. In any case, I should not delay and return back to my mission." the demon clutched his hands to fists, determined to bring more information the next time. "Agreed. I too have some business of importance to attend. We shall meet again soon. Go in peace." Mephisto grinned and dismissed his lifelong eyes and ears in Gehenna thematically, then began his little incantation to shift through time and space - the meeting with his Vatican informant would have to wait... "Send greetings to Miss Heilbrunn for me." Gin flashed a knowing smile to his master before he teleported away. He could have sworn he saw Samael frowning at him prior to his departure. _"Oh, come now, Samael. As if you would remain in the Vatican when there is a possibility of_ her _being targeted by demons. I just hope that the Lord of Time did not forget about the time difference in all that composed rush… These youngsters, always in a hurry..."_ he chuckled and left for Gehenna.

OoO

Mephisto appeared in Tokyo in a flash, replacing the simple soutane with his trademark attire. It was already night, around 2 AM, but the Academy hospital was buzzing with activity. Team twenty-three had apparently come back from the mission in Niigata in a particularly bad shape - he would need to investigate the reason for the damage they suffered. When he managed to stop one of his staff to ask about Thea, the nurse just answered "Ah, that one - she was discharged a few days ago. Healed all her wounds as soon as her energy was back and rushed off home. Something about a test or so… I am very sorry, Sir Pheles, but I am needed over there…" she bowed and dashed towards one of the patient rooms.

 _"_ _Well, at least she is well now. Which also means that she is no longer under the protection of the Academy barrier. I knew I should have at least cast a ward on her…"_ Mephisto exhaled and after carefully considering his actions, he landed gracefully in a tiny dormitory room on the fifth floor of the huge campus which belonged to Tokyo Medical University. _"Good thing Ayami said I could drop by anytime… How very gracious of her to invite me."_ Various books and notepads were scattered on the table as well as on the ground - a strange sense of order and clear purpose radiating from the whole array despite the seeming chaos. The furnishing was minimalistic - simple and purposeful - just a table with a chair, a wardrobe, a couple of shelves. The only thing that looked completely out of place was a rather spacious bed, which occupied a large portion of the small room. There, amidst cloud-like fluffy cushions, a certain troublesome girl was resting, her golden locks in disarray and her body sprawled across the blankets in a strangely twisted position. Mephisto breathed in the sweet scent of honey and cinnamon that was lingering in the room and approached the blonde's bed quietly.

The girl gave him a start, as she shuffled, grimacing a little. _"Bad dreams, perhaps?"_ Mephisto wondered. "Ayami... No… not… beetroot juice again…" she mumbled. "Pfff…" the demon covered his mouth and had to do his best to keep the laughter in. _"She's hopeless…"_ Then, he noticed a faint light radiating from her hand - she was holding her cell phone for some reason. _"Waiting for a call from someone? This late in the night?"_ his curiosity perked up and he leaned in closer, peering on the screen which revealed an unfinished, or rather unsent text message addressed to… his number! It read: _"Hello Sir Pheles, hope your trip abroad is going well. I was wondering about that private lesson you mentioned earlier - maybe we could meet up once you are back from your travels? Thea :)"_ Mephisto finished reading and had to cover his face with his hand to hide the small blush, as he imagined that Thea finally wanted to reach out but was probably too embarrassed to do so. _"I would need to do something about that… Before that, the job comes first, though."_ he reminded himself of the reason for his arrival and closed his eyes to concentrate on the ward.

As he was chanting in his mind, the hair on the back of his neck suddenly stood up and a wave of alertness hit him. Before he could even blink, a brilliant light filled the entire room in a powerful surge of energy. Mephisto's eyes widened and he instinctively stopped the time. The sight in front of him took his breath away - Thea was crouching on her bed, her back towards the wall and her blazing golden eyes fixed on the demon. _"But how? I specifically took care not to touch her. She did not see me either. Only… she must have felt my energy even without direct contact. ...Oh Lord, I must have given her quite a fright..."_ After the mental facepalm for his ignorance, he regarded Thea once again - her hands were outstretched in front of her in a strange gesture he could not quite place. Then he noticed the runes and glyphs which were starting to form into a circle on the floor under him. _"A binding circle? This instant? Why, Miss Thea, you never cease to surprise me."_ He grinned as he witnessed a portion of her true power. So alive! So blazing! So... ardent! Yes, the nickname fit just perfectly. _"Ardent Exorcist, hmm? If this is what Abaddon's Riders saw before the purification of their comrades, then I don't blame them for warning me about her. With that halo all around her, she looks like an embodiment of divine justice - quite a feat considering she's wearing pajamas."_ the demon chuckled, regarding the little sheep pattern on her shorts. Then he noticed her cell phone lying on the ground. A marvelous idea formed in his head and he smirked as he reached for it. After a short while, which did not truly pass, Mephisto put the phone back where it had fallen. _"Ah well, she has already seen me, so there is no reason to hide anymore."_ With that thought in mind, he let the time flow again.

Thea's powers were blazing all around her, while her body and mind were in a state of contrasting calmness. No, it was more than just being calm or feeling peaceful. It was a burning, ardent light which was tranquility itself. In a time of great need, she was always able to enter this state of inner composure, fully knowing of how fast it depleted her energy resources. _"There's a demon in my room!"_ She did not see the demon very well, but she certainly felt his presence - and in a moment of pure enlightenment, she cast a binding circle. She couldn't believe that she really made it work. Then again, after her last debacle in the hospital, she had been training the casting of binding circles every day. _"Such a strong, intense, vibrating power! Too strong. I will not be able to purify this one. I must act quickly, then..."_ "Miss Thea, could you…" _"But that aura… like a rainless thunderstorm…"_ "..lm down, dear, it is onl…" _"...I know this one…"_ "Thea!" the girl's eyes flickered between golden and brown and she found herself looking into a set of forest-green eyes instead.

"Sir Pheles?" the blonde blurted out as she finally recognized the familiar face of the invader, who was currently holding her shoulders while being thoroughly scourged in her purifying light. "Well, good evening to you, Miss Thea." a certain annoying demon started nonchalantly. "May I point out that you look particularly _dazzling_ tonight? You are practically beaming, dear." he cut a disarming smile, his fangs flashing. Having understood the implication hidden in his compliment, the dumbstruck girl let go of her powers and pulled back her aura. Darkness settled over the room again and Thea could hear her heart beating like crazy. _"This is a dream, right? There's no way he's in my…"_ "Thank you, dear." came a sonorous, but calming voice as Mephisto un-handed her. "Allow me…" with a snap of fingers, the lamp on her nightstand suddenly flashed up and the blonde jumped up from the sudden action, her aura flaring once again, her breathing fastened.

"My apologies for startling you, I…" the demon started smoothly, trying to repair the damage done, only to be interrupted by the stunned girl in front of him. "You are in my room." "Ah, indeed. You see…" "You are in my room!" "Yes, that seems to be the case. Now, …" Thea buried her fingers into her hair in frustration and exploded, somehow managing to shout in a whisper. "Are you out of your mind?! What in the world are you doing here? I thought you were a demon! I mean… you are, but … a bad demon! I could have hurt you! Do you know what time it is? Who invited you? And… _Oh my God_ , where are your clothes?!" Thea pulled her blanket closer and covered her face after she had finally looked at the demon with her eyesight adjusted. His cloak was completely gone. As was his jacket. And the vest. And a significant part of his black shirt. All burnt away, exposing his well-toned chest and… and she didn't dare look any lower just in case.

 _"_ _Way to make an impression."_ Mephisto congratulated himself sarcastically, but then he put his hand on his chest in a gesture of utmost innocence and mustered his best puppy eyes. "Miss Thea, I assure you that I came here with pure intentions only. I couldn't possibly have anticipated that you would get all excited and dispose of my clothes at the first chance." Thea just gaped in disbelief. "What is wrong with you?!" came a flustered accusation from the blonde and the demon kneeling in the binding circle outstretched his hand just in time to catch a pillow before it hit him. On the second glance, the pillow was actually a stuffed animal - a ridiculously cute, fluffy sheep at that. "Don't you have any sense of privacy? You could have rung the bell. You could have called me…" she supported her every point with yet another plush sheep which came flying at Mephisto until there was a flock of them around him. The demon hissed as the fabric grazed his fresh burns, but in his mind, he had to fight the urge to scoop the girl up and find out just how flushed her cheeks can get. _"Why, oh, why must she be so utterly adorable when she's angry like that?"_

When Thea noticed how the demon winced at the impact, she suddenly felt a little guilty for her outburst. "Are you… uhm, are you hurt?" she cleared her throat, eying him sideways. Another marvelous idea sprang up in the demon's head. "Just a little scorched. Nothing serious, dear, I just… ouch… stings." he didn't even have to feign the pain he felt as he tried to move. To his surprise, even the movement felt somehow… restricted. His eyes widened as the realization dawned on him - he was trapped. Her binding circle was actually strong enough to hold _him_! True, he could break it, but only with time and some serious effort on his part. _"How is that even possible?"_ his mind was racing, only to be interrupted by a concerned voice. "Do you need me to heal that?" the blonde muttered, her eyes still pinned to the floor as if it was the most interesting thing she has seen in ages. "How would I know how severe my injuries are? You are the future doctor, you tell me."

"Oh, honestly now!" Thea exclaimed, daring to take a look - fortunately, his pants were still on, if tattered. Bruises and burns were visible on the demon's skin, some of them quite severe. "I don't understand. How come you are not healed yet?" she frowned and Mephisto just shrugged innocently - he could have been healed long ago, of course. The Lord of Time simply decided to tease the girl a little, so he willed his powers to subside, preventing his regenerative abilities to close the wounds. His demon nature was enjoying Thea's expressions and reactions too much to let this situation go to waste - regardless of the fact that something akin to a conscience was raining lightning of judgement at his idea of fun. _"Then again… that purifying light of hers was indeed surprisingly powerful. What if…?"_ Mephisto pondered, then tried to heal his left arm. Nothing. As if something was preventing him from doing so. The demon could not decide if he was starting to feel panicked or impressed, so he settled for fascinated. "OK, let me see." the blonde said with a serious look in her eyes, leaving the safety of her bed and blankets to sit in the binding circle on the ground with her captive. "If… if that's fine with you I mean." "But of course. Just… be gentle, please." Mephisto smirked, revealing his sharp fangs, slipping back to his nonchalant self. "You… you are impossible, you know it?! Now, stop teasing me and don't move." she berated him. "As you order, dear." he winked and eased himself.

 _"_ _Annoying demon! Always messing around with me! Barging into my room in the middle of the night, invading my privacy, doing whatever he pleases... This is_ not _how I imagined meeting him."_ Thea was also a hurricane inside. Never in her life was anybody able to throw her emotions into such turmoil. It was simply infuriating! No wonder her powers were flaring all around when her thoughts and emotions were such a mess. And there were so many of them - she jumped from terrified to confused and abashed in a matter of seconds. _"This is bad… I feel like on some emotional rollercoaster! Oh seriously, Thea. Get a grip! Why are you blushing like an idiot? So he's got a beautiful body, big deal... Many demons probably do. That's how they lure all women so easily! ...God, and it's working... Why must it be working?! Stupid Ayami with her romance theories. Stupid Mephisto with his annoying smirk and ambiguous formulations..."_ Thea mentally stomped on all of her wayward thoughts, getting to work.

The blonde was inspecting the demon all over, frowning at the burnt spots she caused him. Her hands were trailing his skin, returning the usual pale color to the previously red parts. _"Oh dear, this might not have been such a good idea after all."_ Mephisto thought, as he felt her gentle touches gracing his skin. When she got to his chest, she blushed furiously, keeping her eyes fixed on the wounds. _"Don't do that. You are too cute when you blush like that."_ Mephisto thought, finding the gesture strangely endearing. He was used to completely different reactions. Women, who, in a situation like this, would look at him suggestively, sultrily, almost hungrily. Women, who would jump at the opportunity like this in pathetic hopes to secure a life full of prestige and riches for themselves. Much like the daughter of Dr. Mitsuhide - one of the Academy's business partners. Or the exact opposite - women, who would panic and run away screaming if they learned about his true nature. Women who would try to seize the opportunity to finish him in hopes to rid the world of another of his 'wretched kin'. And then, then there was this girl... This girl with hauntingly beautiful chocolate-brown eyes, golden locks framing her heart-shaped face, with soft pink lips, and slim hour-glass figure. This girl who smelled like cinnamon rolls. This girl who could always provide a refreshing company, do or say the unexpected, even scold him for his not so commendable actions, but immediately offer help, nonetheless. This girl who was completely oblivious to what her gentle touches were doing to him, apart from healing his body... Mephisto closed his eyes, trying to summon every last bit of self-control he possessed.

In the meantime, Thea worked her way up to his neck. "So, to what do I owe these night maneuvers?" she looked up as soon as she managed to summon enough level-headedness to formulate a coherent sentence. "Why, you invited me, dear." he leaned in closer and her head shot up to meet his gaze. "I did no such thing…" she said firmly, completely sure of her actions. "Miss Thea, I arrived as soon as I received your message." "My message? What are you talking about?" "I am talking about this, of course." he pulled out his cell phone, showing her the message she thought to be unsent. The blonde's eyes widened at the sight and her mouth was opening and closing as she was trying to process the situation, her previous level-headedness completely gone. _"Oh no… No, no, no, no, no! This can't be happening… I... I must have sent it by accident. Aaargh, I am such an idiot! Why am I always like this around him?! And I got angry for nothing… Again."_ Thea exhaled and looked at the demon in front of her reluctantly - she would face him with all honesty, even though her instincts were screaming at her to go and find a nice secluded island, preferably on the other side of the globe, where she could sulk in peace. "I am sorry, Sir Pheles… I did not realize. I didn't mean to send it… this late in the night, that is…" Mephisto felt a pang of shame for that particular little scheme. "Ah, no need to apologize, dear." he waved it off, but the blonde suddenly perked up. "But then… Why were you casting spells here?"

 _"_ _Ah… she truly does not miss any detail, does she?"_ The Lord of Time mused, urging his mind to come up with some clever excuse for using his magic - he had startled her just enough tonight, so it was probably not the right time to make any unnecessary revelations. "Well, it was a great opportunity to put your skills to a test. After the last attack at your hospital, who knows where the enemy might strike next? Exorcists need to stay focused and alert at all times, even in the supposed safety of their homes. What better way to test my students and find out firsthand?" Thea's reaction was not what the demon expected - she rolled her eyes and exhaled with a strangely sullen expression on her face. "As reasonable as it sounds, I don't buy it." "Oh?" Mephisto arched one eyebrow. "Oh please, you think you make it sound so believable, but you are not! You tend to close your eyes or look sideways and gesture a lot when you twist the truth. Also, in case you didn't notice, my hands can do more than heal your burns - I can feel your heart rate, your breathing, and if I concentrate hard enough, I can even tell the centers in your brain you need to activate in order to lie…" she tapped on his forehead to emphasize her point while the demon just looked at her in stunned silence. _"This girl… seeing right through me again... I really do not give her enough credit, do I?"_

"I want to hear the truth, and you are not leaving this binding circle until I hear answers!" she crossed her arms in front of her, emanating anger and frustration. "What is all of this supposed to mean? Why are you keeping an eye on me? Why are you talking with Ayami about me?" "Miss Thea, ..." the demon tried to calm her down, but she went on, her voice suddenly calmer and softer, almost shy. "Did you leave those cinnamon rolls and lilies on my nightstand in your hospital? And… What about that strange kiss in the garden? I just feel…" she met his gaze nervously, but expectantly. "Listen, are you a succubus? Did you cast some spell on me, Mephisto?" Mephisto has reached his limit - he closed his eyes and exhaled. When he opened them again, they were full of resolve and intense emotion. "I have been meaning to ask you the very same question, Thea." he pulled the blonde towards him in a swift motion and placed a kiss on her soft lips. Then another, and yet again. She gasped in surprise at his actions, but judging from the lack of scorching and burning, she did not mind too terribly, quite on the contrary. He buried his fingers into her golden locks, mindful of his claws, and deepened the kiss as the intoxicating scent of honey and cinnamon clouded his mind. To his delight, she leaned into his embrace and put her hand gently on his chest, while the other rested on his neck, creating pleasant goosebumps. He wanted this girl, and he wanted her badly - not as a plaything, not as a mistress, not as a trophy. It was something so completely different from his previous desires, that he could not quite explain it. For the first time in his life, he wanted to please somebody else apart from himself. And that somebody was a woman whose body and soul he wished to get to know as thoroughly as possible. And so, instead of explaining himself, he poured all of those thoughts and emotions into one simple, straightforward kiss. Soon, Thea gasped for air, so Mephisto interrupted the kiss reluctantly, but still held her head in his hands. She was breathing heavily, her cheeks flushed, lips parted, hair disheveled - she was breathtaking.

"Now then, I hope I have answered all of your questions?" Mephisto asked in an amused tone and Thea smiled, trying to catch her breath. "Ah, yes… perfectly..." she gulped. "...Although, I didn't quite catch the one with the garden. Could you maybe repeat that one for me again?" The Lord of Time grinned mischievously - she was a playful one, that was certain. "Most certainly, dear. And this time, you'd better pay good atten..." Mephisto suddenly tensed and turned to his right, his look growing distant and focused. "Is everything alright?" Thea asked with concern - she looked in the same direction but could not spot anything out of ordinary. The demon made a face and frowned, completely annoyed. _"I just can't catch a break, can I… And of all the nights, you just had to pick this one! You will regret that..."_

"I am afraid that your questions will have to wait, dear." he said, and took her hands into his, standing up smoothly. After seeing her confused expression, he decided for the truth this time. "Apparently, someone is trying to enter the Academy without my permission." he gritted out, trying to maintain his composure. The blonde gasped "You mean that the Academy is under attack?" "Not quite. More like under a pathetic attempt to sneak in." Mephisto explained, as he felt one of the wards placed over the Academy waver. "Take me with you. I can help." she stood in front of him with a determined look on her face, but the demon shook his head dismissively. "I appreciate the offer, but the Academy employs Exorcists specifically trained for this kind of situation. Besides, you returned home from the hospital only recently, so you'd better give your body the rest it deserves." he said, gently brushing her left shoulder. "I promise to answer all of your questions _very_ thoroughly the next time." the demon whispered into her ear, getting another blush from the blonde.

 _"_ _He's right… I am a doctor, after all. What could I do in that kind of situation, anyways? Throw another rucksack at the invader?"_ Thea tried to reason with herself. "Fine… Just, take care, OK?" "Oh, I _will_ take care… of them." he grinned. "Now, would you mind?" he pointed at the runes on the ground which were forming the binding circle - if the situation at the Academy turned out to be serious, he would need every speck of his energy, especially considering how many wards, barriers and other spells he already had to hold in place. "Well, I really don't wanna, but sure…" the blonde giggled and dispelled the circle, allowing Mephisto to step out. He looked at her thoughtfully - he was, after all, the second in power in the whole Gehenna, so the fact that this little human girl was able to trap him was simply fascinating. " _I will not make the same mistake and underestimate her again. She might yet surprise me and actually manage to capture me one day. ...Only, she might have already done so, in a way…"_ he smiled and snapped his fingers - his clothes were back as fresh as new. "Hey... You could have done this before?!" Thea gaped. "Oh, I certainly could have, but how else would you have been able to locate all the burns, then?" he asked innocently, which resulted in Thea facepalming herself. Mephisto chuckled and pulled the girl closer, placing a kiss on her hand, sealing the protection ward at last. "Gute Nacht. Ein - zwei - drei."

"What have I just done?" Thea clutched her hand to her chest, her mind in a bigger mess than her room. A part of her still thought that the whole encounter must have been a dream. The more eager part of her hoped that it was not. She shook her head and started picking up her plush companions, some books and her cell phone from the ground. The whole evening, she had never been able to bring herself to send that message, until her sleeping self took care of it. She laughed out loud, for once actually thanking her clumsiness, because after all those long days, she no longer felt confused. Now she felt… just happy.

OoO

"Did you bring what I requested?" "This one… ugh… this one has fulfilled your wish, master…" a trembling voice replied through coughs, as its bearer approached the makeshift throne of the Duke of the Abyss. "Well, hand it over then, you have made me wait long enough already." Abaddon demanded and outstretched his hand impatiently. The 'woman' in front of him began her laborious climb on the stairs, her legs shaking wobbly and body trembling. With every step, a blackish liquid splashed on the ground, creating a slimy trail behind her. Strong, violet hour-hands were rushing out of her body, piercing it at multiple places as Mephisto's ward had taken effect - a successful infiltration of The True Cross Academy was a feat that did not go without paying the bitter price. "Oh, for Satan's sake…" the red-haired demon exclaimed and closed the distance between them in a swift motion. "Give me that before you completely ruin it." he gritted out, pulling a folder of papers from the creature's still half-human half-liquid hands.

"M-master, please, the spell…" the 'woman' asked, bowing low. Abaddon looked over his shapeshifter vasal. "All right already, stop whining, it is not that serious." he outstretched his hand and muttered an incantation. _"Cursed wards… how can Samael afford to keep so many, anyway? Hmm… no matter, as long as they are not impenetrable."_ he smiled viciously and in a couple of seconds, the creature in front of him was free of the hour-hands and was able to revert to its original liquid form, the fallen slime-like substance returning back to its body. The nameless shapeshifter exhaled - if that was even possible in that strange substance it gained - and bowed even lower, thanking its master. Abaddon dismissed it with a wave of his hand, already eagerly listing through the folder. He might have been ordered by that poor excuse of a demon to remain in Gehenna, but he still had his resources and informants in Assiah. It would have been too dangerous to follow that wench around, but with some information, he would know exactly where to strike. "So, our 'Ardent Exorcist' is Althea Heilbrunn, born on June 20, 25 years old, …"

OoO

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**Disclaimer:** Blue Exorcists belongs to Kazue Katō. Please, do not re-post or publish my story without my consent.

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**Author's note:** Hi All! I am happy to publish another chapter of this story :). Apologies for keeping you waiting for so long - it was quite a hectic month, so thank you very much for bearing with me! I believe that you will find the wait worth it ^^ 

P.S. Thank you All so much for your kind messages and feedback - it is much appreciated and I will do my best to always bring you reading you can enjoy. In case you have not yet shared your impression with me, do not hesitate to do so, I am eager to better myself.


	12. Queen of Hearts and Her Baking Arts

Having placed every one of her plush sheep back to join the remaining flock among the blankets, Thea couldn't help but feel too excited to go back to bed. How could she sleep, after everything that happened? Mephisto has just departed via his incredibly handy teleportation spell, leaving Thea alone with both her heart and mind racing. It almost looked as if both organs had some crazy competition. Taming her heartbeat proved a little too difficult of a task, so the blonde tried to calm her thoughts instead, by giving the whole experience at least some sense of normality. _"It's fine. Really. The guy I have a huge crush on just dropped by in the middle of the night, kissed me, wished me a good night, and left… That sounds normal enough, right? …Only, the 'guy' is actually my headmaster, who also just happens to be a ridiculously strong demon with the power to manipulate time! …Yeah, Thea, well done! There goes the normality… Gosh, no wonder I question my sanity so often…"_

Thea shook her head, but the feeling of overwhelming happiness won over all doubts or uneasiness. A soft smile appeared on her lips and her heart started beating even faster - clearly winning its little race against the brain - as she remembered the unbelievably pleasant highlight of Mephisto's visit. _"Yeah, that pretty much settles it, no sleep tonight. But what now?"_ the blonde briefly considered the option of working on her thesis, as she knew she was one step on the deadline… _"Right, there is only one thing left to do, then."_ she nodded to herself in resolve and headed towards the kitchen - after all, it is not like she could focus on studies with an empty stomach, not to mention with her dorm being such a mess. And there was just _so much_ to clean! When was the last time she scrubbed the floor? And if she worked fast enough, she was sure she could spare just enough time for some baking too...

OoO

"Theaaa, I am hooome!" the door to the small dormitory apartment slammed as Ayami walked in, totally beaming with great mood after her date with Toshiro. "And look what I brought! A tasty, and more importantly, _nutritious_ lunch from the school cafeteria. That will boost your health - unlike the cookies you keep munching all the time…" she chirped, peeking into Thea's room. She expected to find her friend sitting at the borrowed laptop, trying to save her thesis despite the ridiculous deadline. "Thea, are you… oh dear…" Ayami covered her face with her hand, as she took in the scenery again - the little hall, Thea's room, bathroom and even the small kitchenette - everything sparkled with cleanness. The floors were scrubbed to perfection and a beautiful scent filled the whole apartment. "Thea sure puts the 'pro' in 'procrastination'… Sheesh, girl, you really are hopeless." shaking her head, the raven-haired student of medicine went to the kitchen to unload the shopping basket.

A small letter on a table caught Ayami's attention. It read: _'Gone camping. Lunch is in the fridge. I made your favorite one! ^^ Thea'_. The girl closed her eyes and winced at the prospect of what exactly she would find in the fridge. "I really should tell her that my 'favorite' food is actually the only edible thing from her cooking experiments." As Ayami was putting the groceries into the fridge, she spotted the boxes of used ingredients, some eggshells and other cooking and baking leftovers. "Wow… exactly how much of that stuff did she cook?" she grimaced, a shiver running down her spine. Then her eyes widened in horror as she figured just where Thea might be headed to with her latest creation. "Oh snap! Dear friends from Thea's study group, stay strong. I will pray for you to survive this night without permanent damage." Having checked some other empty packages and boxes, Ayami breathed out in relief. "Well, at least she baked a cake as well. Good. She could never spoil anything sweet. Not too much, anyway… There is still hope guys, just go for the cakes!" a laugh echoed through the spotlessly polished apartment, then Ayami braced herself to face Thea's version of her 'favorite' vegetable curry. She could do this. After all, she had a backup plan - the lunch from the cafeteria would probably work wonders in case her stomach hurt again. _"Now, the question is - What about Thea's thesis? It is almost impossible to finish as it is, and with her slacking off on some camping… Did she give up on it?"_

OoO

The True Cross Academy was buzzing with activity. However, it was not the kind of activity one would credit to the usual business of the place. An almost tangible tension was lingering in the air as the Academy staff rushed to and fro, trying to maintain calm and composed appearance, while their watchful eyes were scanning the surroundings carefully. The security was tightened - not only did the Exorcists patrol in groups of two or three, the team at the Main Gate cast an illusion-dispelling charm on everyone who entered the Academy. Thea doubted that anyone apart from the 'cram school' students noticed the effects of the thoroughly enchanted entrance door, not to mention the one Exorcist who was silently reciting an incantation while the other was checking their ID cards. _"It looks like they haven't caught the invader yet... Or maybe they expect some further disturbance? I wonder - was this a good time to come? Mephisto must be so busy…"_ the blonde pondered, but then shook her head to dismiss that thought. _"Oh please, if he could drop by in the middle of the night, I can drop by today. At least I have enough decency to come at a reasonable hour…"_ she chuckled and rushed towards the headmaster's office, mindful of the small box she was holding in her hands carefully.

OoO

The Lord of Time shook his head in a poor attempt to focus his thoughts on the work at hand. So much has happened in the past few hours that they felt like days. Because of his demonic title, he sometimes had trouble grasping time the same way the others did, for the boundaries between time and space often vanished in his perception of reality. Well, those were the consequences of freezing time, speeding it up or slowing it down, not to mention all the teleportations through different time zones. No wonder he felt so exhausted - when re-calculating the hours properly, the last time he slept was almost three days ago. Mephisto massaged his temples, trying to suppress the surprising amount of exhaustion which managed to build up in him.

However, there were more pressing matters than his current state - for starters, the state of The True Cross Academy. The Academy someone had just succeeded in invading. _His_ Academy. _"To think that the intruder managed to invade and escape my barrier, avoid most of my wards and of course the security on the night duty…"_ he frowned as he went through the night's events in his head again. The burglar broke his protective seal on the Archive Room, took several folders with personal information of his students and retreated. To make the situation even worse, the selection of students whose folders were missing appeared to be random and his investigation team had yet to find a connection between them. If there was any to be found, that is. Nevertheless, the students whose files had been stolen would all need to be watched carefully until the investigation would bring some results.

The demon's expression darkened as he remembered that Thea's folder was among the missing ones, as well. However, he reined in his temper quickly - the last thing he needed was for him to disrupt the time in some pathetic uncontrolled fit. He could not afford any foolishness right now, no matter how annoyed or tired he was. _"This was no accident, that is for certain. The timing was too perfect. Had I not come back to check on Thea, I might not have felt one of my wards waver, not on such a distance. The intruder must have known of my absence, and he or she knew exactly what to search for and where to find it… It is very well possible that a spy is hiding among our ranks - one I do not know about yet…"_ Mephisto's lips curled up into a dark grin at the prospect of yet another investigation action. Tired as he was, he would enjoy the challenge, nonetheless. Maybe even more, for he would at least give the poor individual an illusion of a chance. Besides, tiredness was a small price to pay for banishing the boredom of the everyday tasks of a headmaster.

Apart from the lamentable situation at the Academy, there was one more puzzle he had yet to figure out. It was the reason behind Thea's powers which suddenly seemed much stronger and more potent than before. _"Usually when she gets surprised or scared, my gloves turn into ashes, but that is all the effect her powers ever had on me. So, how is it possible that she managed to burn me to the point where I was unable to heal myself? Not to mention that her binding circle was strong enough to trap me._ Me _\- the second most powerful of the Demon Lords of Gehenna…"_ the Lord of Time frowned and ran his fingers through his hair in thought - he simply couldn't wrap his head around it. And if there was anything he couldn't stand; it was a problem he couldn't crack. _"Well, one task at a time. First come the wards, and once I am done here, I might just pay that 'charming blonde lady' a visit and find out firsthand. I could certainly use another pleasant conversation."_ his lips curled up, remembering just how pleasant their latest meeting was, then resumed the work on the warding.

Suddenly, a soft knock on the huge door interrupted his attempt to finally concentrate. "Sir Pheles? It's me, Thea. May I come in?" the girl's melodious voice came from the hall. _"Well, what do you know… I should voice my wishes more often."_ he chuckled and shook his head. _"How did she even find this place? The entrance to the room should be enchanted, visible to the few individuals from teacher staff only…"_ Mephisto wondered, but he had long learned not to underestimate this girl and her peculiar abilities. Surprisingly, he eased almost instantly, the lingering irritation and annoyance finally leaving him, replaced by a very different combination of feelings - curiosity, anticipation, excitement. He was looking forward to meeting her more than he had thought, and that was something, considering he had seen her just a couple of hours ago. "But of course, come right in, dear."

"Thank you. I am sorry to barge in like that, I know you must be very busy, but I…" Thea trailed off, as she was welcomed by a very unusual scene. The room was dark, lit only by dim lamps which resembled small lanterns. Some of them seemed to be levitating in the air. The place was much bigger than it looked from the outside, with a narrow hall which ended with an oval-shaped room. Right there, on an elevated circular platform in the middle, stood the man she has been searching for. His back was turned towards Thea and she could see that he wasn't wearing his trademark white suit with a cloak. The demon usually wore so many pieces of fabric about his person that he looked a little strange wearing the white trousers and black shirt with rolled- up sleeves. _"It does suit him, though…"_ Thea thought, grateful for the absence of light, which would reveal her slightly flushed cheeks. Instead, she put her box carefully on the table next to her and walked towards the platform, unable to tear her eyes off whatever he was doing. The demon was waving his hands strangely in the air, as if he were leading an orchestra. Dozens of play cards were moving in accordance with his measured, delicate gestures, flying around the room in a sync, only to land in the huge structure positioned in front of the demon. It looked like a house of cards, only this wasn't a mere house, but something akin to an elaborate cathedral. Some of the cards were shining dimly in various hues of purple, blackish or golden colors, producing a very interesting effect when flying through the scarcely lit room. Thea couldn't help, but stare - it was simply enchanting.

"Wow… what is this place?" Thea breathed out and gazed at the scenery in front of her with her eyes wide open, the reason for her visit completely forgotten. Mephisto smirked at the blonde from behind his shoulder, thoroughly amused by her reaction - the fact that she was always able to appreciate his work did not escape his attention. He turned on his heel to face her and poured a little of his energy just to the right places to create a more striking effect. "Behold! This is the Warding room." Mephisto spread his hands theatrically, the imposing structure vibrating with power and colors emphasizing the flamboyant gesture. "The Warding room? I have never heard of it… nor have I seen it in my map of the True Cross Academy." "That's because not many people know about it, dear. And we try to keep it that way." he winked mysteriously and started circling around her. "I have a suspicion that no one actually showed you the way here, but you found it by sensing my power, correct?" "Ah, yes... But only because you were not in your office and when I asked around, nobody really knew where you were. So, I just looked around and..." the blonde blurted out nervously.

The demon regarded her mischievously and leaned in closer. "So, Miss Thea. Who is the stalker now?" A wave of embarrassment washed over the blonde. _"Gee Thea, you really are a hypocrite! Just yesterday you scolded him for not announcing himself like a normal person, yet here you are snooping around…"_ she berated herself, but could not quite feel guilty about it - just seeing the demon made her slip to their usual teasing exchange. "Hey now, I was definitely not _stalking_ you. To stalk someone, you would first need to know where that person is, so you could follow him or her in secret…" she pointed out. "My dear, for someone who was 'definitely not stalking', you sure know a lot about the art of stalking." Mephisto grinned, throwing the girl of balance. "I… well, I wanted to see you, so I was just _looking_ for you…" "Why, I am flattered!" the demon smirked as he saw the girl fidget, and he bent down slightly, so that their eyes were on the same level. "To think that you would want to see me _that_ much…"

A blush of deep red color appeared on her face, but the blonde quickly collected herself. _"Why, that teasing, pompous, self-assured… Let's see how you like your own medicine..."_ Thea clasped her hands behind her back, locked her eyes confidently with his and smiled in the same playful manner. "But of course. I had a _very_ good reason to search you out. In fact, I _needed_ to see you." she said a bit seductively - she was a big girl, after all, and she would show that annoying demon that he was not the only one who knew how to play the game. Mephisto's eyes widened at those words, a slight blush appearing on his face. He could suddenly feel the small hair on his neck rising, as the blonde stepped even closer and whispered to his ear secretively. "And if you tell me more about the Warding room, then I might just tell you why I couldn't wait to see you today." the chocolate-eyed girl giggled cutely, completely oblivious to the small heart-attack her headmaster just suffered.

As soon as the Lord of Time composed himself, he folded his hands and his lips curled up at the proposal, revealing his sharp fangs. "My, my, trying to strike a deal with a demon, Miss Thea? You must be feeling particularly lucky today." "Well, the last time I struck a deal with a demon, it actually saved my life. So yeah, so far, I have had a surprisingly good experience with that kind of deals. In fact, I have much better experience dealing with demons than with my mobile operator." Thea smiled mischievously, and Mephisto couldn't help but find her proposal enticing. After all, why not? "Very well, Miss Thea. Deal." he extended his hand towards the blonde and she shook it enthusiastically, a strange sense winning that round boosting her spirits. "Come. One look is better than a thousand words." Mephisto prompted, still holding her hand, helping her towards the platform he had been standing on before.

Thea's eyes widened in recognition. "Is that… is that the True Cross Academy?" she marveled when she saw the striking resemblance between the card structures and the academy grounds. "It is. The protective barrier erected around the Academy is just one of the necessary precautions. A set of wards is needed to fortify the security, as well." he explained. "Oh, I see! That's why I couldn't feel the auras gathered in this place until I was allowed to enter, right?" "Correct. It is easier to keep a place safe when the intruder cannot properly detect the presence and exact location of individuals with spiritual powers. Oh, they still do try… and sometimes, such as tonight, even manage to get through…" Mephisto's face took on a malicious gleam and Thea could only guess how irritated he must have been by the fact that his Academy was invaded.. "I see… but still, there are so many wards. How could the enemy possibly get past them?" "The wards are not impenetrable, Miss Thea. Keeping the enemy out is not such a simple concept as it might seem - after all, how do you define an enemy?"

Thea thought for a while, tapping a finger on her lips. "You are right, it is not just demons who might want to attack a place like this. Besides, some demons are quite… friendly." she smiled at Mephisto and continued in her theory. "Any being could try and attack… Hmm… a malevolent act then? An evil, harmful intention?" Mephisto nodded with a strange sense of satisfaction. "Correct. The wards are set in a way so that they can ward off forceful attacks - admittedly, especially the demonic ones. However, not all enemies are demons and not all demons are enemies of the Academy." he looked at her meaningfully, while her expression became one of a focus. "Of course. You, Rin, some of the security members…" "Precisely. Not to mention all the demon familiars your classmates or the Academy staff summon on a daily basis during classes and training sessions. Unfortunately, that does not prevent one demon from summoning another one during the ritual. Remember, summoned familiars are still demons, only following orders of the summoner who bound them to their will. Should the will waver… well, demons might get some ideas and leeway…" Thea's eyes widened at that notion and she turned her gaze away from the card structure towards Mephisto. "I see… And what if… Sir Pheles, could a demon possess someone and get inside? Or, could a demon be invited here by someone, too?" she asked carefully. "Yes, those are all possibilities which are quite challenging to cover. Thus the regular maintenance - I need to keep my wards at work, and if necessary, alter the effects from time to time. Mostly though, it is just enough to keep them above eighty percent energy." _"So that's why he seems to be so on edge about this - it was not just an attack. He knows that this could have been an inside job, too. Gosh, this must be awful. No wonder the security is so tight. He really does care about this place…"_

In that moment, something else from what the demon said caught her attention. "Wait… you are the one who keeps the barrier and wards in place?" "But of course, Miss Thea. It is my duty as the headmaster to take care of my Academy, wouldn't you say?" the demon inclined his head. "No, I meant… you are the _only_ one?" _"Just where is she going with this?"_ Mephisto's brows furrowed. "I am." he set for a straightforward answer, which earned him a most astonished look from the blonde. "But that must be so draining! The barrier is so huge! I thought that all of this… " she waved her hands as if trying to envelope the card replica of the True Cross Academy "... was maintained by the school staff too, or, I don't know, some special defense force or something… What if something were to happen to you? Would it all fall apart? Does it need your concentration to stay up or is it enough if you just set it up? And what if someone just fell the cards in this room? Would the wards be dispelled? Do you..." A low chuckle interrupted the chain of questions. "My, my, curious, are we?" the demon stroked his beard and then fixed Thea with an amused gaze, which caused another wave of embarrassment to wash over the enthusiastic girl. "Ah, I am sorry, I didn't intend to pry." she said, flustered. Mephisto shook his head - he certainly felt intrigued by Thea's questions and conclusions. Not to mention a little surprised by his own actions - he just shared the details about the Academy's defense system with a student, after all. Thea was a curious little thing, and for a second or two, he started being suspicious about her motives. However, he dismissed them immediately - no one was such a good actor. For some reason, the headmaster did not mind sharing these pieces of information with Thea at all. Quite on the contrary, something was telling him that it might come in handy if she knew more about it.

"That is quite all right, dear. After all, how is one to learn anything if he doesn't ask questions?" Mephisto winked. "Uhm… from mistakes? From observation? From an experiment?" she immediately counted out. _"Ever so clever."_ the demon thought with delight, fully aware of how great her curiosity was. _"Maybe I could use this opportunity…"_ he mused as an idea came to his mind, and he struck the palm of his hand with his fist. "Ah, yes. An experiment! Say, Miss Thea, would you like to conduct one?" "Of course!" the blonde blurted out before she could stop herself. "I mean, uhm… what kind of experiment?" she tried to ask in a more composed way, but it was too late to cover up her excitement. _"Stupid! Stupid! Haven't you learnt anything? You just have to go and give him every opportunity on a silver platter… And you did so well when he teased you about stalking him. Gosh Thea, looks like you are at your daily limit of daredevil answers..."_ Thea scolded herself inwardly, trying to banish the far-fetched thoughts about what kind of experiments he might try to conduct.

 _"_ _Got you~"_ The demon grinned widely and picked a dozen non-shining cards from the set which was floating in a close circle around the platform. He spread them in his hand, with their backside on the top. "Pick one card, if you please." he looked in Thea's chocolate-eyes mischievously. "Seriously? Magic tricks? That's what you call an experiment?" "Oh, I would not judge so quickly if I were you." Giggling and shaking her head, she pulled one card out of the fan he spread in front of her. "Ah, Queen of Hearts - how very fitting." the demon smirked, picking a card for himself as well before Thea could even comment on that remark. "Now then, observe." Mephisto held his own card in front of him, and from what Thea could deduce from the growing purple glow enveloping the card, he was simply pouring his demonic energy right into it, so that the patterns and strange symbols started shining. Soon, the play card was pulsing with power - and for something so small, it sure could hold _a lot_ of it. Actually, there was so much of it that her hair started standing up. "The play cards are enchanted, so you only need to provide enough energy for the spell to take effect. Simply imagine transferring your own energy into it. That should do the trick." Mephisto grinned and tapped at the card with his finger. "Would you care to give it a try, dear?"

Thea nodded and took the card, narrowing her eyes in concentration. A single symbol in the middle of the surface started glowing dimly in golden hues, then flickered and faded. The blonde inclined her head in confusion and tried again. A faint pulsing light emanating from the very same symbol was all she could muster. "I don't understand… am I doing it wrong?" she wondered, her brows furrowed. Mephisto tapped a finger on his lips, completely puzzled and strangely - disappointed, too. _"Now, what is this supposed to mean? Tonight, she almost burnt me to a crisp, not to mention trapped me in a binding circle and now, … she cannot set a warding card to work… Is it possible that the little stunt she pulled on me actually depleted all of her energy? ...No, she did not even blink when she casted the circle, not a single hint of tiredness was visible on her… Just where did all that power disappear to?"_ The demon looked at Thea, who was panting slightly, drilling an imaginary hole into the stubborn, uncooperative play card with her eyes.

He cupped the hand where she was holding the card in a comforting gesture. "Miss Thea, no need to overexert yourself." "No, that's not it." she shook her head firmly, still completely absorbed by the task at hand. "I can feel it, I can do it, it just… oh seriously!" she pouted after yet another failure. _"The energy might be there, but simply not enough to fill this vessel. Such a shame, I truly believed she could perform better than this. Even young Okumura managed to put one card to work. True, it completely depleted all of his strength, but still, she is..."_ Mephisto suddenly paused in his musings, as he regarded the girl more closely. _"My ward! It's gone…"_ he looked at the girl in alarm, all senses suddenly alerted. The protective ward he had sealed by kissing her hand that night was nowhere to be found! Having run his eyes over her swiftly, he couldn't find any signs of injuries. _"She seems to be unharmed… Then again, she could have healed herself. I'd better approach this carefully."_

"Thea, dear, the warding card can only take so much abuse and it was quite time-consuming to prepare the enchantment, too…" Thea snapped out of her fruitless concentration and her cheeks flushed as she realized she was squeezing the poor card in the process. "Oh damn, I am so sorry, Sir Pheles! I was just trying to…" Mephisto took the card away from her hands and waved it off. "I know, dear. You can give it a try another time, I promise." "But I really don't understand. Why wasn't it working?" "Well, you used up a significant amount of energy tonight." he smirked meaningfully at her, trying to lighten the mood. Thea did not look too satisfied with that reasoning, but finally exhaled in resignation. "I guess…" "Speaking about this night - has anything _strange_ happened to you since I left?" the demon asked, trying to maintain his usual nonchalant demeanor. The blonde in front of him inclined her head at the unexpected question. "Apart from the fact that no matter how long I counted all of my sheep-pillows, I couldn't fall asleep? Because that is quite strange..." she giggled and despite the gravity of the situation, Mephisto couldn't help himself but chuckle at that answer - she really did have a remarkably calming effect on him. "No, not really." Thea assured, shrugging.

Mephisto's mind started racing again, completely preoccupied by the implications of her answer. _"If she was not attacked, but my ward is gone… On the same night as the Academy was invaded… And if her powers seem to be completely used up… Then this might be even worse than I thought. It seems that someone is playing around, sending me a message."_ Mephisto's eyes narrowed and he could feel the blood boiling in his veins. _"If you want to play, then we shall play. But you are on_ my _playground now…"_ the Lord of Time sent a silent threat to the bastard who was foolish enough to challenge him, not to mention by using Thea to do so. "Uhm, why do you ask?" the blonde inquired, interrupting his darker growing thoughts.

"Why, it is the duty of the headmaster to inquire about his students' wellbeing - especially considering the combination of tonight's disturbance and your delightful talent to attract trouble." he smirked broadly, revealing his fangs. "Oh, come on, it's not _that_ bad!" Thea folded her hands in a stubborn denial. "Of course not… after all, it has almost been a whole _week_ since you left my hospital wing." The blonde just rolled her eyes at his sarcastic remark and pinned him with a firm look. "Riiight, and at this pace, _you_ will end up in that wing before _this_ week ends. Good thing a future doctor is here to treat you." she smiled at the demon, but he outstretched the palm of his hand towards her in refusal. "Miss Thea, I really appreciate the gesture, but that won't be necessary." "Yeah, yeah, save it for the people who cannot tell your current condition from a touch." the blonde said, clasping the palm of her hand to his in demonstration, her expression challenging the demon to try and argue about that point. _"'Won't be necessary' my butt! He feels so tired. No, more like_ exhausted _. He probably didn't even sleep..."_ she concluded. Oh, his energy level still felt like an endless sea of power, it was just not so… endless anymore.

Mephisto's lips curled up and he used the opportunity to entwine his fingers with hers, clasping her hand firmly, pulling her a little closer. "Are you sure you are not just trying to lead the attention away from your part of today's deal?" the demon asked, looming almost dangerously above her. "Quite on the contrary, I am trying to get to that point." Thea smiled a little nervously due to the sudden tension. "Oh, then I am all ears. Tell me, Miss Thea, why is it you wanted to see me so _badly_?" he drew closer, his face mere inches from hers, his eyes assuming that unbelievably hypnotizing effect. The girl gulped at that proximity, trying to keep her mind working and her heartbeat at a non-life-threatening pace. "How about I show you instead?" she asked, pulled away giggling and led him by his hand towards one of the tables. To the demon's surprise, there was a small box left on the table and Thea nudged him to open it. Mephisto's curiosity peaked and he undid the box, revealing… an absolutely delicious-looking, creamy, cloud-shaped cake.

"Ta-daa! I told you I wanted to _treat_ you… to a _cake_! Ha! You didn't see that one coming, did you?" Thea giggled at her little word play. "I made it myself!" she said proudly, looking at the demon expectantly. Mephisto inspected the cake curiously - on a second glance, it was actually a sheep-shaped cake! _"She really does like those fluffy creatures, doesn't she?"_ The demon would have burst out with laughter at that ridiculously cute design, had he not felt so completely overwhelmed by a particularly foreign and puzzlingly warm feeling. _"She made this herself? For_ me _?"_ the demon found himself at loss of words, which was not something that usually happened to one as articulate as him. He remembered receiving a Christmas cake from Rin and the group of Exwires as a token of gratitude, but something felt very different and _special_ about receiving it from _her_.

"But why?" Mephisto voiced the most burning question unknowingly. Thea bit her lip nervously. "I wanted… well, I wanted to thank you - for saving those people at the hospital. And for saving me from the vortexes that time." she rubbed her arm and continued in a more measured voice. "I also wanted to apologize for burning you yesterday. Actually, for burning you in general… But _especially_ for yesterday. Looks like I have a knack for it, because I managed to burn the cake, too… But just a little, I swear." she smiled innocently. "And then… It must have been a long night for you. I figured you could use something… you know, to sweeten your day..." the blonde brushed the golden lock of hair behind her ear, waiting for the demon's reaction. However, none really came - Mephisto was standing in front of the cake, his mouth slightly open, his posture strangely tense.

 _"_ _Is he alright? I thought he liked sweets. Does it look so bad? Or maybe I do not look like a person who can cook? Well, I can't blame him, students are usually masters of junk food and instant food, after all."_ the blonde wondered scratching her head and tried again. "Uhm, I know I might not look like it, but I _can_ cook, you know? Well, maybe not cook, but I can _bake_ just fine, and I do not want to brag, but sweets are my specialty. Even Ayami swears I could never spoil anything sweet…" she trailed off as Mephisto took down his right glove and scooped up a portion of the soft, fluffy, pinkish cream with his finger. His eyes widened at the unbelievably harmonic, absolutely heavenly taste that he would never have contributed to the slightly burnt creation in the box. "Delicious!" he exclaimed in delight. _"It looks like Rin has finally found his equal."_

"I know, right?" Thea laughed happily, the strange tension finally leaving her. "I was considering Sachertorte or Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte, but I kind of ended up improvising." "But you definitely used blueberries, right? As a secret ingredient?" Mephisto finally composed himself and looked at her mischievously. "Yes and no. I mean, I did use blueberries, but not as a secret ingredient. I told you already, I was improvising, so I just put in everything I thought you might like. To be honest, I don't remember most of the ingredients… So, all ingredients are kind of secret. So secret that even the baker doesn't know. Top secret." she smiled. Mephisto chuckled and shook his head, silently happy about the fondness for sweets they both apparently shared.

"Uhm… there is one more thing I would like to give to you." Thea said with flushed cheeks and before the demon could even start to guess what else she could have possibly prepared, the time stopped, and it was not his doing. No, it was completely due to the girl, who was now standing on her tiptoes, hugging him tightly with her head nestled on his chest. Her soothing aura was enveloping him gently while her healing powers were washing away the tiredness and restoring a portion of his energy. After the initial moment of surprise, Mephisto slowly relaxed, putting his hands around the blonde's shoulders and torso almost gingerly, as if not to break her. He certainly wasn't accustomed to such gestures, but his body just moved on its own and before he knew it, he pulled the girl closer, basking in that wonderful feeling, breathing in the tantalizing scent of honey and cinnamon, exploring the newfound sensation. He could get used to this…

In a short while, Thea gradually let go of the pleasant energy flow, then pulled Mephisto gently at his tie and put a soft kiss on his cheek. The Lord of Time stood in front of her with a dumbstruck expression on his face, completely speechless. _"Was um alles in der Welt… A kiss… on the_ cheek _? Does she even… does she have any idea how utterly adorable that was?"_ The demon simply couldn't help himself, but blush at that almost innocent gesture - the thoughts and feelings this little mortal girl managed to stir inside of him were just so foreign and new. Everything about her was unexpectedly sincere, kind and… pure. Everything from the surprise visit, to the cake and the unbelievably sweet kiss. Desire, passion, lust - those he knew, those he was very well accustomed to. But how could he possibly react to something so different?

"Well, I'll be on my way now. I still need to buy some things for today's camping… Please enjoy the cake and... see you around." Thea blurted, completely embarrassed, and surprised by her own actions, then rushed off the room. "Miss Thea, wait!" the demon caught her arm before she could make her escape. Mephisto slipped his hand down her arm towards her hand, then lifted it to his lips and closed his eyes, kissing it gently. He certainly could not trust himself with anything more at the moment - both with the simple kiss, and with the simple ward. "Thank you for coming today, Miss Thea. It has been lovely." the demon said with a fond, completely disarming smile. He felt like he should give her something in return. Like a castle, perhaps a realm… something she would appreciate. However, of the things he had at hand at the moment… "Here" he pulled a little sack of muffins from his travel bag. "For today's camping. I got these from one of my acquaintances when I was on my business trip in Europe. I would rather eat that delicious cake you made for me, but it would be a shame should these sweets spoil. They might not be handmade, but I hope you will enjoy them nonetheless." Thea's eyes shone and she took the package gratefully. "Danke, Sir Pheles." "Gerne geschehen, Miss Thea." After a swift 'Auf Wiedersehen', they parted and Mephisto resumed his work on the warding, feeling surprisingly refreshed with every piece of the delicious cake.

OoO

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 **Disclaimer:** Blue Exorcists belongs to Kazue Katō. Please, do not re-post or publish my story without my consent.

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 **Author's note:** Hello everyone! :) I hope you all enjoyed your summer holiday. It might not look like it (as I haven't published a single chapter for a few weeks), but I was actually quite productive. I have been working on this FF, planning & drafting the upcoming chapters and even 'books' ^^ And so, as a big "Thank you" for all the wait, but also for your kind words and encouragement, here is my holiday present to you - 3 chapters of my story at once. In this one, I went for some nice fluff, so I really hope you enjoy the magical and tender atmosphere I tried to create.

P.S. As always, your feedback would be much appreciated - I am always eager to learn more and make this story even better and the reading more enjoyable for you :)


	13. Past Debated and Present Illuminated

"My servants have informed me that you demanded an audience with the Duke of the Abyss himself." the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps echoed through Abaddon's throne hall. He wore a rich robe adorned with gems and embroidery, which provided him with an air of a true ruler. Just as it should be - he had had just enough of the plain suits his 'master' made him wear when in Assiah. Now, when he was finally allowed to restore order in his realm, he would do so as a proper overlord. "So, tell me, demoness - why is it you find yourself important enough to barge into my estates unannounced? And I am warning you, think well about your answer, for I am in a particularly foul mood today." the red-haired demon grated, looking down at the probably soon-to-be-exemplary-executed visitor. The demoness bore an appearance of a woman in her early thirties, long, jet-black hair framing her oval face with cat-like, violet eyes and thin lips. She was dark-skinned, short, and rather thin, the black cloak completely hiding her figure. The nightshade embroidery on her cloak was the only distinctive mark, hinting at her association with the Alsumu clan - the poison-makers. "My Lord, please forgive me for my insolence - I am but your humble servant, bringing important information to your attention. Information related to your current search for the missing essence of your insect servants, the Apocalypse Rai…"

Before she could finish the sentence, she found herself pinned to the wall, her throat in a firm grip of her lord. "How did you learn about the search?! Speak!" Abaddon demanded in an uncompromising voice that promised a slow death, should the answer prove unsatisfactory. "M-my Lord, I swear on Satan's Flames t-that I learned only by accident. The reason… ngh... t-the reason is that I have been searching for a very similar thing for some time by myself." she spoke with a strangled voice. Abaddon's grip slightly loosened. "Explain yourself." "S-she purified some of your Apocalypse Riders a-and their life essence is nowhere to be found. A mortal. A young girl... with golden hair and eyes, r-right?" A displeased, sinister expression appeared on the demon's face. "So, the Riders were foolish enough to share her description, as well…" the Lord of Abyss gritted out, his claws pricking the demoness' skin again. "N-no, none of your servants betrayed t-that to me. I s-speak from my own memory - I know about the human girl, for I have met her before and… and s-seen with my own eyes what she can do." the demoness met Abaddon's eyes meaningfully, earning herself freedom from that nasty grip. "You have my attention, demoness of the Alsumu. Tell me everything you know."

OoO

"Go to Shura's weekend house tonight? Sir Pheles, what kind of an assignment is that supposed to be?" Yukio frowned at yet another of the ridiculous demands of his extravagant headmaster. "You heard me, Mr. Okumura. Your students are having a get-together tonight and I wish you to join them." the demon smirked at the young teacher from behind the huge wooden desk. "But Sir, I have already declined the invitation. Our search team is meeting tonight to go through the personal data which might connect the students whose files have been stolen. Surely, that is more important than…" Yukio tried to explain, but Mephisto stepped in smoothly. "Ah, about that - you have been temporarily reassigned from the search team. Tonight, you shall join your students at the campsite. Your assignment is to keep an eye on Konekomaru Miwa and Miss Heilbrunn and ensure their safety."

"Are they in danger?" Yukio adjusted his glasses, his pose suddenly at ready, his left hand subconsciously resting on the holster of his gun. _"That's the spirit."_ the demon grinned inwardly, satisfied with his choice of Thea's tonight's bodyguard. And the bodyguard of the other kid, of course… "They both are on the list of the individuals whose personal information was stolen during the invasion. I have every such individual watched as a precaution, and these two will be your responsibility. At least for tonight..." Mephisto explained. "I understand, Sir." "Splendid!" Mephisto exclaimed, clasping his hands. "Now, I suggest you go prepare yourself. You do not want to arrive empty-handed, do you? Especially after you changed your mind about camping so suddenly..." he winked and started arranging and folding some documents. "I am counting on you, Mr. Okumura. Keep them safe." the headmaster added, fixing Yukio with a serious look, which earned him a most startled expression from the teacher. "Of course, Sir Pheles. I'll be on my way." Yukio bowed and turned to leave.

As soon as the demon heard the door close, he checked the documents on his desk one more time, then went over the list of destinations and details in his head again. _"Now that all has been taken care of for tonight, it is time to depart."_ he nodded to himself and changed his outfit to a less eye-catching one with a snap of his fingers. "Something simple, decent, yet still expensive-looking. Maybe a pair of glasses, too? Perfect." he smirked at his new apparel in the mirror, then the 'ein-zwei-drei' incantation brought him to Europe. To be more precise, Hannover, Germany. There, in the city of fairs, he had his own investigation to run. Too many unanswered questions revolved around one of his especially troublesome students and it was about time he checked her background thoroughly…

OoO

"OK, the fish-sticks are ready guys, so let's dig in!" Rin called out enthusiastically, waving with one of them over the camping fire. "Yey!" came a collective response from the group of Exwires who were preoccupied by various activities - from chopping some vegetables for the salad side-dish to setting up the table. "Rin, those look just delicious!" Shiemi clasped her hands in delight, causing the half-demon to blush furiously. _"Oh man, I could cook for her every day… I must remember all her favorite foods!"_ he thought, already imagining Shiemi falling in love with him thanks to all the yummy meals he would prepare for her. _"After all, the way to your love's heart is through the stomach."_ Rin grinned victoriously, fully aware of his superb chef skills.

"Finally, real food! I am starving..." Izumo rushed in with some plates, which she almost dropped as Bon bumped in her shoulder. "Shush, idiot. Don't you see she's already feeling down?!" he berated the twin-tailed girl. "Oh, please, so she can't cook. Big deal…" she rolled her eyes, glancing sideways at Thea, who looked as if she would rather hide herself in the bushes for the rest of the night. "Don't listen to her, Thea. It was not that bad. Really." Konekomaru patted the blonde at her back sympathetically. "Are you serious? You forced yourself to eat it and then threw it up!" the blonde buried her face into her hands. She couldn't believe it - all of her vegetable curry had to be thrown away because, apparently, it was inedible! _"Were the ingredients spoiled? Maybe the coconut milk was old… or maybe… Oh, who am I kidding? It was simply terrible… My whole life has been a lie!"_ the blonde girl sulked, the illusion of her cooking genius completely destroyed. And as everyone was getting hungry, there was no time to go back to the city and buy some food, so the students decided to search the stock in Miss Kirigakure's weekend house. Unfortunately, there was not much to use apart from some rice and seasoning, because apparently, their teacher's shopping list consisted mostly of liquor. And so the boys just caught some fish in the nearby pond for Rin to prepare.

"Well, yeah, but my stomach had already been upset from today's lunch. Honest! And you healed it in a blink of an eye, so no damage done." "That's right. Maybe your hand just slipped, and you put in more salt or something…" Bon assured, scratching his head nervously at the obvious lie. "Well then, how about you try at least the cake? Even Ayami swears I couldn't spoil anything sweet." Thea offered with puppy eyes, but Konekomaru's and Bon's faces paled at the prospect of trying yet another of her creations. "Pfff… you mean the same Ayami who somehow convinced you that that 'vegetable curry' was her 'favorite'? Hey, ouch!" Izumo yelled as Bon pulled at one of her twin tails. "You just can't give it a rest, can you?" the classmate growled. "Excuse me? If you haven't noticed, I just pointed out that this Ayami must be a really good friend! Whoever is willing to eat that stuff must be willing to suffer for you greatly - that's a true friend quality right there, tested and proved." "Come now, don't argue, you guys. Rin is ready with his cooking." Shiemi tried to calm down the situation, but as always, her soft pleading voice simply had no effect over her friends. "Alright people, shut it! I'm going to try it!" came Yukio's irritated proclamation, which left everyone speechless. "Are you serious, teacher?" the blonde asked with her eyes sparkling. "Yes. Now, bring it on! I… I mean… what is it you baked, again?" Yukio asked nervously, adjusting his glasses. Maybe if he ate at least the sweets and managed to act cool enough, she wouldn't feel so down tonight. _"Also, it is my responsibility as a teacher to make sure none of my students die of food poisoning… Not to mention that Shura will kill me if they try the cake and puke all over the place. She would never let anyone use her small cottage. Not ever again…"_

Thea hesitated for a while. _"What if Ayami lied about my sweets, too? That would mean… oh no! I gave my cake to Mephisto, too! No, no, no… Way to make an impression, Thea! But… but he said it was delicious, didn't he? Or was he just pretending, too? Gosh, I really am useless… I can't do this to Yukio. Maybe…"_ the blonde searched in her bag and fished out the little sack with muffins - Mephisto's donation to the party. "Here, try these." she offered. "Wow, what an… unusual color…" the teacher remarked with a nervous smile, carefully picking one greenish muffin from the sack. _"It's all right, I am a Doctor, after all. I can always use one of my universal antidotes…"_ he tried to encourage himself. "Well, here goes nothing!" he said and took a bite. Surprisingly, the strong urge to puke was not present this time. The taste was quite strange, perhaps a little bitter-sweet, but much better than anything he has tasted tonight so far. "Hmm… you know, Miss Heilbrunn, these matcha-muffins are actually quite tasty. Thank you." he smiled earnestly and walked off towards Rin to pick one of those delicious-smelling fish sticks. After all, his brother's cooking was still the best. The blonde exhaled and helped herself to one of the muffins, as well, a slight blush appearing on her face as she remembered her today's visit in the Warding Room.

"Rin, man, you sure outdid yourself this time!" Bon exclaimed, patting Rin at the shoulder, munching at his fish stick. "We bring you fish from a pond and you just do your magic and miraculously turn them into _this_!" "Ah, it's nothing. You should see what I can do with salmon!" Rin grinned and soon, everyone was sitting around the warm, crackling campfire, enjoying the splendid feast the young half-demon prepared. Thea couldn't agree more with all the praise. "Dear Lord, I can't decide if your cooking is like a piece of heaven or just devilishly good!" she giggled and let herself finally relax, all the stress which managed to build up during those crazy weeks slowly leaving her.

"So, Miss Heilbrunn, how long has it been? About half a year you have joined us at the Academy?" Yukio asked. "Ah, almost… August has just started, so… about five months, I think. Five crazy months." she laughed, shaking her head, as all the memories flashed in her head in little snippets. "And? How do you like it so far? Are you keeping up with both of your studies?" "Yeah, how does it feel like to be the oldest student at the Academy?" Rin grinned at Thea, then he suddenly felt Yukio's palm smacking his head from behind. "Don't you have any sense of tact, stupid?" Yukio scolded him before the girls' piercing gazes could drill a hole into his brother's head. One did just _not_ point out a woman's age - he knew at least that much! "Ah, it's fine, no biggie…" Thea waved it off as unconcerned as she could. "I mean, maybe it is a little strange… OK, it is _really_ weird! But I got used to it. Even though most of the people I meet at the Academy assume I have had to repeat the last grade. For about the fifth time…" she laughed nervously, but obviously not convincingly enough, because Shiemi jumped in to save the situation once again. "Ah, don't say that, Thea. You started late, but you are already catching up. Why, you are already so skilled in healing! And you are studying at the university! To me, it seems like you are in the exact opposite situation - sitting here at the campfire with a bunch of kids…"

"Ah, but I do not think of you as 'kids' at all! How could I - after all those difficult training sessions and dangerous fights? You have already been through so much in your lives, that you are more mature than most of my soon-to-be doctor colleagues." the girl said honestly, trying to convey the respect she felt towards her friends. "Though, I do admit that having to work your butt off just to catch up with a bunch of teenagers _does_ lower your self-esteem." she sniffed and shook her head - it sure has been some time since she had felt like a complete rookie. "You know, Shiemi is right." Konekomaru stepped in with his piece of encouragement. "Not everyone could study at two schools simultaneously, not to mention at a university. Speaking of which, this is your last year, right? See? You will soon become a doctor! Now, that is admirable!" he said enthusiastically, expecting Thea to regain some of that lost self-esteem she had been talking about.

"Oh, about that…" the blonde's shoulders slumped more, if that was even possible, and she continued in a solemn voice which bore a hint of resignation. "Actually, I need to prolong my studies for another year… and that's the optimistic scenario..." "What?! Why?" Rin exclaimed, voicing the exact question everyone wished to ask. After all, Thea was really smart, how could a person like her need to study longer? "My thesis is due tomorrow night, and well, there is just no way I can finish it in time. So, instead of trying to rewrite it, I kindly asked my student department and professor to extend the deadline, and I decided to join you tonight. You know, to get some fresh air and positive thoughts…" she shrugged, feeling even more embarrassed for yet another failure in front of the 'bunch of teenagers'. "But Miss Heilbrunn, I don't understand. Didn't you mention that your thesis had already been finished and only needed some final polishing touches?" came a puzzled question from her teacher.

 _"_ _Ah, I really hoped he wouldn't remember that little detail…"_ Thea thought and, with a heavy heart, nodded. "You are right. But I kinda… ah, I threw my bag to the Abyss that time at the hospital… Inside, there was my laptop with all my work." she sighed. "But you sure had a backup, right?" Yukio inquired further, unable to process the unfortunate events - surely there was something they could do to save the situation! "I had… but that does not help you a bit if you keep your USB and all the notes in the same bag as the laptop…" the girl's voice faltered as she remembered the hours spent on her research, not to mention the additional hours she had invested into a fruitless attempt to rewrite her thesis from scratch. There was simply too much work to do. To rewrite it in less than a week? Not only was it impossible, it was _beyond_ impossible. It had been a work of her last two years, for God's sake! She folded her legs and pulled her knees to her chest, burying her face into her arms, swiftly brushing off the building-up tears in the process. She would _not_ cry in front of them! She already felt pathetic enough.

Suddenly, she could feel a pair of arms enveloping her, squeezing the breath out of her lungs. "Gosh, Thea, I'm so sorry!" Rin said apologetically and Thea was happy, that for once, her unfortunate reflexes did not kick in to ruin the moment. "You did that to save me! I remember. If there's anything I can do, tell me! Maybe it's not lost yet! Yes, we can still save it! I will... I will go to Gehenna and find it for you! Maybe…" the half-demon trailed off as Thea gently patted him at the back. "Rin, that's alright." she said, thoroughly touched - this was nobody's fault, it just… happened. "I doubt it has survived the fall, anyways. I mean, I don't know how deep hell really is, but…" she joked around, trying to brighten the mood. "There are worse things than prolonging my studies, Rin. It's just another year. The important thing is that we survived the attack - maybe even thanks to that bag! When you think about it, my thesis had saved two people before it was even published! Now, that's what I call a contribution with real, life-saving applications!" the blonde started laughing wholeheartedly, finally breaking the tension.

"All right, folks! No more talk about school or academy stuff." Izumo ordered, deciding that Thea deserved a break from all those annoying school-related topics. Besides, there were more interesting questions to ask. The teacher was right, the blonde has been studying with them almost for half a year and they still knew next to nothing about her. "Change of topic! Thea, you are from Germany, right? Well, tell us something about your life there." "Oh boy…" the blonde's palm met her forehead with a loud smack. To get some extra time to consider her answer, Thea untangled herself from Rin's embrace and took another big muffin from the sack. She then held it out for Yukio in case he would like one too. He took it without hesitation - at this point, he would probably risk food poisoning and eat that 'vegetable curry' of hers - if he thought it would cheer her up, that is. Anything to make her a little more comfortable.

"So, what is it you really want to know? Because I have a suspicion that there is something _very_ particular on your mind." Thea winked at the twin-tailed girl, who flushed a little, but her bold nature soon dismissed any doubts. "Tell us about your mashō experience." Izumo fixed her classmate with a firm look and the eyes of others soon rested on Thea in anticipation. "Ah, you mean the tempt-taint? I am sorry to disappoint you, but I don't really remember anything about it." she shrugged innocently, biting into the sweet treat. "Hey, what's with that answer?!" Izumo asked, her hands on her hips and expression almost... angry? OK, she was definitely angry… But why? "Ehm… is something wrong about not remembering it?" the blonde asked curiously, brows furrowed in puzzlement. "Thea, receiving a tempt-taint is probably the strongest, most intimate memory a person with spiritual powers could have..." Bon said with a serious expression. "Oh… is that so?" she blinked in surprise, and everyone in the group nodded. "Thea, we've been through a lot together. No need to be secretive around us. You can trust us." Konekomaru assured. "But I am telling you the truth. I honestly have no idea." "But how is that even possible?" Rin gaped at her, scratching his head. In that moment, Thea flushed a little and exhaled, readying herself to open a topic she had long believed closed. "Well, the 'treatment' at the asylum might have helped take care of that particular detail of my past…"

OoO

Mephisto double-checked the address, then looked around again, collecting details. _"A historical mansion in the city center, and judging from the short peek inside through the huge windows - a most interesting collection of antiquities, too… Yes, definitely high class. I should not be surprised. According to the records, both of Thea's parents are high-achieving members of their social circles. A finance advisor to the bank, who is also involved in local politics and owns shares in many businesses worldwide, and the director of the Historical Museum. Hmm… How curious that Thea would live in that small dorm room together with her friend..."_

He adjusted his tie and rang the bell on the door of the well-maintained townhouse. A short lady in her late twenties wearing a uniform-like dress opened the door. "Guten Tag, Sie wünschen?" she eyed him curiously. "Guten Tag, I am Dr. Faust. Is this the house of family Heilbrunn, please?" Mephisto slipped in fluent German. "Yes, that is correct. Do you have an appointment?" "Ah, unfortunately not. You see, I am here on an urgent matter - would it be possible to speak with the Heilbrunns at the moment? It concerns their daughter..." the demon said smoothly, utilizing his undeniable persuasion skills he had honed to perfection over the years. Surprisingly though, his words did not have their expected effect. The housekeeper, as he assumed the lady to be, looked at him with confusion and distrust. "Their daughter? I am afraid you have the wrong address, sir. The Heilbrunns do not have any children." Mephisto's brows furrowed in thought, his mind attempting to puzzle out the strange claim.

"Maybe you should…" before the assumed housekeeper could finish, a strong male voice came from the hall. "Simone, who's at the door? I don't remember having any appointments scheduled for today." a man in his late fifties walked towards the door - he was almost as tall as Mephisto, had blonde, slightly graying hair and blue eyes. "Ah, Mr. Heilbrunn, I think this is just a mistake and Dr. Faust here has the wrong address - he claims that he needs to speak to you regarding your _daughter_ …" she looked towards the hall expectantly, emphasizing the reason behind Mephisto's visit. The man's eyes instantly hardened, and a bitter, almost angry expression settled on his face, though he managed to control his voice and overall demeanor perfectly. "Thank you, Simone. You are right, Dr. Faust here has the wrong address. However, I think I know how to point him to the right direction." he cut a smile which never touched his eyes. "Why don't you go and prepare the rest of the equipment for our trip?" "Certainly." The housekeeper nodded with satisfaction and disappeared in the hall. Mephisto's lips curled up - Thea's parents were supposed to be his strongest lead and one of them seemed to be lying to him with a completely straight face.

"Now, Dr. Faust…" the man started in a cold, firm voice as soon as the housekeeper was out of earshot. "…I know who you are searching for, but there is nothing to talk about in regard to _that person_. She no longer lives here, and our family has no contact whatsoever with her. Is there anything else you would like to discuss?" From all the scenarios Mephisto had played out in his head before this visit, this had certainly ranked considerably lower in probability than being welcomed with open arms. _"And what was with 'that person'? Now, that is a strange way to refer to your only child…"_ Mephisto thought curiously. "Ah, Mr. Heilbrunn, but I am afraid that this is a matter of utmost urgency. You see..." the demon tried to persuade the man.

"Tobias? Is that true?" a woman's voice came from the spacious hall, as she rushed to join her husband. She had long, honey-brown hair, brown eyes and, despite her age, a slim, hour-glass figure. Thea indeed resembled her mother, but the whole air around the woman was completely different. None of the parents had the same curious, twinkling eyes. And although their lips were similar, Mephisto could not quite imagine the woman to have a smile of the same kind. "Melissa, it's alright, no need to come." Tobias tried to wave her off, but Mephisto swiftly used the opportunity and outstretched his hand towards Melissa - the woman might be easier to work with. "Ah, and you must be Thea's mother, correct? The resemblance is striking." he cut one of his best smiles. The woman froze in her steps and regarded him quizzically, completely ignoring his hand. "So you do know her…" "Melissa, that's enough." Tobias looked at his wife meaningfully while Mephisto's mind was racing. _"Now what is going on? Well, at least I know how Thea always manages to throw me out of my game by her unexpected actions - must run in the family… Although, these two give it a whole different meaning…"_ Mephisto frowned inwardly. "But of course. As you probably know, your daughter is in her last year of medicine studies at Tokyo University in Japan, and our hospital is thinking about offering her a position to finish her practical training and earn the approbation. Now, I am just running a short background check to see if…" "That's enough, Dr. Faust! The person you are looking for is no longer associated with our family." the man cut in sternly.

 _"_ _No longer associated…"_ The demon was completely puzzled. "Pardon?" he asked. "You heard me, Dr. Faust. Now, unless you want to get into trouble with authorities, you'd better leave. Also, I strongly suggest you _not_ question our neighbors about the girl - she is not known around here and we intend to keep it that way." Tobias said in a silent, almost threatening voice while Melissa simply nodded. The demon's eye twitched in irritation - he certainly wasn't used to such insolent treatment, but unfortunately, the situation required it. And so, he played his role. "I see… thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Heilbrunn. I will be off then. My apologies for the trouble." he bit out curtly and turned on his heel to leave, trying to maintain his composure after the unpleasant encounter. "Dr. Faust…" Melissa suddenly called out and the demon arched an eyebrow - was she ready to talk, perhaps? "Please consider it well - I mean hiring her to your medical team. Someone like her… should be the one being treated, not the treating one… I am telling you this for the good of your patients. Have a good day." she said a little solemnly, then let her husband close the door.

Mephisto's pace was brisk and his fists were clenching and unclenching, as he was analyzing the peculiar series of events and information he had managed to gather. True, he did not find out anything about the part of Thea's past which bore the greatest interest to him, but he did learn about the part of Thea's past which turned out to be of big importance. " _The housekeeper seemed to be telling the truth - she did not know of Thea's existence. The parents though… not only do they not acknowledge Thea as their daughter, they want to keep her very existence a secret… And just what did the mother mean by the last-minute warning? Thea is a perfectly healthy girl, after all, if a little clumsy… Could it be..."_ a wave of realization washed over the demon as he considered other possibilities. He briefly thought about going back and using a spell on the parents, so they would spill the truth, but just the thought of meeting the lot again brought a sour grimace to his face. Besides, he had already heard enough to draw a conclusion about what Thea's parents would call her special abilities… And so, he set out to search for his next lead - Sophie Athanasiou, Thea's grandmother.

OoO

"Asylum?" Bon asked cautiously and Thea just nodded quietly. "But that's where all the crazy people go!" Rin blurted out, and this time, he realized what the backhand from his younger brother was for. "Eh… sorry, I meant… what would you be doing there, right? Heh…" the half-demon rubbed the lump on his head nervously, looking at his friend. "That depends on the definition of 'crazy', Rin." Thea exhaled, smiling gently. Just how could she explain this to the people whose everyday life was full of out-worldly events? "You guys… have a different experience when it comes to the 'supernatural'. You all come from families with a strong spiritual background - monks, priests, healers, even half-demons… Spells, powers, exorcism - this is simply a part of your everyday life. But surely you know that this is not what one would consider 'normal', right? Even you, Rin - you had no idea about the demon-spirit stuff, and you are a half-demon yourself. You too would probably have considered a girl claiming to see demons crazy..."

The lot sitting around the fire nodded one by one, until Yukio spoke. "Yes. That is the reason our Academy has special members who are always on outlook for any individuals claiming to have seen something supernatural, or even slightly out of place. People who claim having gone through a strong spiritual experience, but also parents who do not know how to handle their child's imaginary friend or the monster under its bed…" the young teacher mused, scratching his chin in thought. Thea just smiled fondly at that note – Mephisto really did think about just everything when running the Academy. "Well, that might be the case here in Japan - you people seem to be quite open to the spiritual. Germany, however, well, we might have Brother Grimm and their fantastic fairy tales about werewolves, sorcerers, even demons, but that is all they are – good-night stories for children. _"…If you could call those quite disturbing and frightening tales a 'good-night' material, that is…"_ the blonde thought. "In real life though, this is all just pure superstitious nonsense. We are quite pragmatic and down-to-earth people. Even a little too much playfulness and unvented energy could earn a child the ADHD-stamp and secure it a year-long stay in a 'special class'. So, what do you think happens to children who are 'attacked by demons'?" the blonde smirked, a mix of long-forgotten bitterness and hurt stirring inside of her. "My parents came to the only rational conclusion, really - that I was mentally ill. And so, they sent me to a psychologist. When that did not seem to help, it was the psychiatrist's turn to treat me and put all that nonsense out of my head. But as you probably can imagine, I was quite a stubborn child, so special facilities were the way to go… All of that in a span of three days..."

OoO

"So you know Thea?" the eyes of Thea's grandmother, Sophie, sparked with joy and enthusiasm despite her old age. According to Mephisto's information, the old lady was diagnosed with Alzheimer about sixteen years ago, resulting in her being placed into the nursing home the demon was visiting at the moment. "Yes, I do, Mrs. Athanasiou." Mephisto nodded and he finally learnt after whom had Thea inherited that beautiful, sincere smile. "Ah, my sweet Thea. It's been so long… so long... She was about this tall since I had last seen her. Is she well? She did call some time ago, but… ah, so long…" The demon thought for a moment. _"Of course, your granddaughter is just fine. Apart from the fact that she is juggling two studies at the same time while also being targeted by a group of persistent demons…"_ he smirked inwardly – Thea's strange sense of sarcasm must have been rubbing onto him. "She is healthy." the demon said at last.

"Ah, good, good." Sophie put a hand on her chest. "I hope she's doing well in school, too. Such a hard-working little thing she is. Always trying to catch up with the rest of the class… said it was hard to remember things… now look at her." she mused while Mephisto's brows furrowed in thought. _"Thea? Catching up with the rest of her class? But… she is such a quick learner…"_ The demon mused, remembering how she usually caught even the slightest of details and often managed to surprise him with her observation skills. _"Hmmm… the medication must have played a role in that particular aspect…"_ he considered, his lips forming a sour grimace. "Indeed. Now she is about to become a doctor. And that is the reason I am here, Mrs. Athanasiou. You see, our university would like to offer Thea a position as our intern." "Oh, you would?" Sophie interrupted. "Then please, sir, take care of Thea. She's a good girl, you'll see! Such a hard-working little thing. Ah, but then… she can't be a doctor. Barely ten years old she is…" Mephisto blinked away the confusion - the Alzheimer must have robbed the old lady of many memories, including the time-flow perception. "She is about to become a doctor." he repeated. "However, we must make absolutely sure she is up to the job and that is why I need to learn more about her past." Mephisto emphasized again – speaking to people with Alzheimer sure was tiring. Maybe he should try a different approach… "I visited her parents, but I was…" "Bah, those two will tell you nothing!" the grandma cut in and Mephisto had the impression that he finally managed to get through.

"Sent her away, they did…" the old lady suddenly whimpered, tears rolling down her face as she caught Mephisto's hand. "Why did they… why send her away? So far away… She was still so young. Just about this tall…" she showed again with her trembling hand. The Lord of Time had spent his fair share of time in Assiah interacting with various humans, but talking to old, unstable, and mentally ill ladies was apparently not his forte. So far, he has managed to cycle the conversation twice and bring the poor lady to tears… And so, he did the only thing he could think of – the thing his charming blonde lady would probably do in his place. "I see…" Mephisto patted the old woman on her hand uncharacteristically in a poor attempt to comfort her. He needed her to focus if he were to gain some useful input. Strangely, he also didn't want probably the only family member, who seemed to care about Thea, to cry. "So, why did they send her away, Mrs. Athanasiou? What happened?"

"Send who away?" Sophie inclined her head and the demon took a deep breath. "Thea - your granddaughter. You said she was sent away. Why?" "Ah, my sweet Thea… They sent her away, far away from me…" "Why, Mrs. Athanasiou?" Mephisto tried again. "She just saw them… saw them everywhere. Said they were waiting for her; she was so scared." Sophie shook her head, clasping one hand over her mouth. "Saw whom?" Mephisto pushed a little more, even though he already had a good idea what the lady was speaking about. "Them." came a simple answer. "Who is 'them', Mrs. Athanasiou?" "Them… the ghosts, and evil creatures…" the old lady explained and, as if expecting him to doubt her, she added swiftly. "I believed her. How could I not? I already believe in God! So why not ghosts or the Devil himself? I saw them too, ... once… so long ago, so long… Do you believe in God, good sir? And the devil?" she fixed him with an expectant look, causing Mephisto to smirk inwardly at the irony – he couldn't possibly deny his own existence now, could he? "Ah… I certainly do, my dear… However, Thea's parents do not, correct?"

"Oh, those two… my own daughter… They sent her away! She was scared, she did not want to sleep alone, to be alone. And they sent her away! To doctors and to hospitals… Where she was alone! They were so ashamed of her; thought she was ill-minded. So they sent her far away. Kept giving her strong pills… and… Why did they do it?" Sophie's voice trembled again and Mephisto could see another stream of silent tears trailing down her cheeks. _"Why indeed… Tsk, humans. Only they can pray to thousands of deities, wage wars to prove the counterparty whose god is the only true ruler of the universe, but as soon as one claims to have actually seen anything related to the spiritual, asylum awaits…"_ Mephisto frowned at yet another inexplicable paradox mankind brought to its world. "You did not want her to leave. So, what did you do?" the demon tried to nudge the old lady to the right direction. "I… I did not. I wanted her to stay. I did everything I could… but one day, my Thea came to say goodbye… I hugged her tightly, gave her a goodbye kiss… Some money and jewelry. And she already had my precious earrings, too. Something to remember me… Oh, Thea…"

The demon tried to comfort the graying old woman again, while sorting through the confused, sentimental scraps of information she has just shared with him. A number of things suddenly made sense, then again, none of the memories even hinted to the origin or character of Thea's powers. Well, it was not completely surprising – sometimes, various powers simply manifested themselves, occurred without previous history. However, the old lady did mention that she herself had already seen ghosts, as well. She just seemed too old and unwell to remember the events properly. Well, he could take care of that little detail… "I am sorry to hear that, Mrs. Athanasiou. Please, do you remember when was it that Thea started to see these 'ghosts'? Could you share that memory with me?" Mephisto asked cautiously, trying to gain the lady's willful permission to enter her mind. Her memory might be clouded, but he was the Lord of Time – he could view the past events clearly and wholly. At least those directly connected to him or the past events of people who agreed to share their memory with him. A nifty skill, that.

"Aye, Thea was nine when she first saw them. She must be about twelve, now… I remember… she even came to visit me in the hospital with Melissa and Tobias. You see, the doctors told me that I had collapsed. But Thea… she has just been so different since then… Oh, my sweet Thea…" Before Sophie could fall into another grieving moment, Mephisto quickly stepped in, determined to uncover the bits of the past himself. "No need to worry, Thea is just fine." the demon assured Sophie. "Now then," the demon recited his short incantation in mind, altering the time flow in a way that he could gain enough room to spend a few hours rummaging through the past Thea and her grandma shared.

 _"_ _Aaand in we go…"_ Mephisto looked around – the place he appeared in was almost idyllic - a cottage-house built on a green meadow, with a flower garden and many fruit trees lemming it. "Thea! Come here sweetie, I've got something for you!" a sixteen years younger Sophie Athanasiou called out and a little girl with short golden locks and big brown eyes came rushing to the bench where her grandmother was sitting. She was wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt with shorts, and a few first-aid plasters here and there. _"Oh dear Lord… just when I think she couldn't get any cuter…"_ the demon covered his face with his hand, as he regarded the smaller and younger version of Thea. "What is it, grandma?" she asked with that melodious voice of hers. "I have a present for you." Sophie said mysteriously, holding something behind her back. "But grandma, I don't have a birthday today…" "Yes, I know, but grandmas do not have to wait for birthdays to give a gift to their little cutie-pies." The grandma smiled and winked at Thea knowingly. "Oh, I see… What is it, then?" Mephisto could see Thea's face brighten as she laid her eyes on the plush sheep present, then clutched it tightly to her chest. _"Ah, so that is why she likes those fluffy creatures so much… Pfff… it is almost as big as her!"_ the demon chuckled. "Grandma, he's so beautiful! Thank you! I promise I will take good care of him!" she said, hugging both the new companion and her grandmother. "I will call him…"

Suddenly, a strong surge of blinding light enveloped the grandmother as she was hugging the girl, and Mephisto's breath caught in his throat when he realized just what kind of light it was. Blue flames were blazing all around, and he could hear the twisted, grating voice of the King of Gehenna. "A vessel! I need a vessel! Must possess a body!" it bellowed in anger as Sophie's body twisted in pain. "Grandma! Grandma, what's wrong? What's happening?!" Thea cried out, her eyes full of terror from the sight. "T-Thea… run…" a soft plea was all her grandmother could muster while releasing the hug. "No… grandma!" she shook her head stubbornly but found herself being lifted by her T-shirt into the air by an inhuman strength.

Mephisto took a subconscious step forward, until he realized his absolutely useless and foolish attempt to free Thea from Satan's grasp. "So noisy… you should obey your elders, little human." Satan spoke through a crazed version of Sophie's voice, laughing terribly, shaking the girl. "Tsk…" The Lord of Time gritted his teeth at the sight, and he could feel his claws piercing the fabric on his gloves, his powers dangerously close to bursting through his barrier. "No! Please… grandma…" the little girl pleaded, trying to wriggle her way out of the grasp. Abruptly, her eyes shone brightly and hues of brilliant golden light enveloped her body. Satan cried out in pain and Sophie managed to unclench her hand from her granddaughter's T-shirt, causing Thea to drop down. "What is this?! What have you done, you little worm?!" the demon king demanded, looking at his hands with confusion through Sophie's eyes, his flames weakening. "Thea, run!" came Sophie's voice again, as she pushed the demon's presence back. "No… Get back here, you brat!" Satan reached forward through the possessed body, but it resisted. "No! I was so close, and yet… another useless vessel!" Satan screamed again, as he could feel the vessel weaken, blood trailing down the human's nose and body trembling all over from the exertion put on it. "Go!" Sophie yelled through ragged breaths and this time, Thea pulled away, picking up the scorched sheep toy from the ground swiftly. Then, with tears streaming down her face, she set off running…

… One memory replaced the other, and the Lord of Time stood in the very same room of the nursing home where Sophie was accommodated - only about ten years ago. The old lady was lying in her bed, looking at the young, fifteen years old Thea with a sad, solemn expression. "Thea, sweetie, please don't go." Sophie clutched her granddaughter's hand with her own spindly one. "It's for the best, grandma. You know my parents, they never believed me. I have had just enough of psychologists and psychiatrists… of all the time spent in asylum…" the blonde shook her head, eyes full of resolve. "Father is taking me to Japan. You know how much I wanted to visit that country, don't you grandma? Now I can live there. I will have the time of my life!" she smiled, as if trying to persuade both her grandmother and herself. "But Thea, Japan is so far away! When will I see you again?" Sophie's voice trembled at the prospect of Thea leaving.

Thea bit her lip and blinked away the building up tears. "I… I don't know, grandma. I should be back here on Christmas and on your birthday, too. In any case, I will call you, I promise. I love you, grandma." Thea hugged her grandmother tightly and Mephisto could see that she was using her powers, making the whole room feel cleaner, purer. When she released the hug, color returned to the previously white and sagged cheeks of her grandmother, her eyes seemed keener and body stronger. "Thea, no… I am sure I can do something… I will talk some sense to Melissa, she will listen to me, you'll see…" "Thank you, grandma, but no. This really is for the best." "But it is so far…" "Grandma… I will be fine." Thea put her hands to Sophie's cheeks, apparently using her powers again to calm the old woman down. "You know what? I will always wear these, so you will always be with me." She said, tapping her earrings with her fingers. "Goodbye, grandma."

The scenery changed again and Mephisto returned back to the presence, then let the time flow normally again. "Thank you kindly, Mrs. Athanasiou." the demon said earnestly. "And who would you be, good sir?" Sophie inclined her head in confusion, putting her hand to her lips. Mephisto's shoulders slumped a little as he exhaled. In his mind, he recited a small incantation, then his forest-green eyes met with Sophie's chocolate-brown. "A doctor. I just gave you something to sleep. Please, close your eyes..." he said softly while putting a gloved hand on her cheek, causing the lady to slip into a slumber. _"I'd better be on my way…"_ the Lord of Time nodded to himself, setting off to the asylum where Thea had been treated.

OoO

"I remember it as clearly as if it happened today. I first met her sixteen human years ago. To be more precise, just a day after the 'Blue Night'." The dark-haired demoness started explaining to Abaddon in a hushed, secretive voice. "Her lifeforce was… remarkable. Her soul shone like a beacon, every demon in the vicinity was drawn to it. So was I and my mate. A little human child like her was supposed to be an easy prey. And so, we struck…" a soft noise of gritting teeth reached Abaddon's ears. "Then, the ardent light came, and my mate vanished within it, purified. Apparently, the brat had been gifted with serious spiritual powers… Powers, which turned out to be strong enough to exorcise even demons of our level, despite the fact that they had just manifested themselves and the girl was unable to control them properly." the demoness grimaced, angered by the shameful debacle she had suffered.

"Tell me about the power. Everything you know." The Duke of the Abyss demanded impatiently. "There was something particularly unsettling about that light of hers. It felt… peaceful, tranquil even." she shivered unwillingly at the memory. "I managed to escape the outburst of her purifying energy and decided to keep my distance until my mate would respawn in Gehenna. He should have come back to life long ago, however, his demonic essence has yet to reappear. All these years, I have been searching for his essence, but without success. Slowly, I came to believe that maybe, I would never find it, simply because there is nothing to be found. I shared my theory with other members of my kin, but the idea of 'permanently ending' a demon's life was simply preposterous… Until now." the demoness looked her lord in the eyes, determined. If she could gain the trust of one so powerful, she would be able to continue her search with completely different resources.

"I see… What is your name, demoness?" Abaddon eyed the unexpected visitor. "I am Zahar, my Lord." she lowered her head. "Very well, Zahar of the Alsumu clan. Your information proved useful, after all, so I will overlook the unannounced audience. In fact, I shall reward you." he tapped his lips with his finger in thought, but a soft, careful voice interrupted his musings. "My Lord, if I may… I would be honored if I could serve you. There is more I can offer. There is an… anomaly in your very realm, which I think might be connected to the girl. I have been looking into this matter for the last decade and a half. In exchange, I only ask to be allowed to exact my revenge on that human filth who killed my mate…" The Duke of the Abyss grinned victoriously - he certainly did not expect to gain so much information, not to mention another loyal servant.

"I accept your pledge of servitude. However, you must find a more subtle way for your vengeance. If what you are saying proves to be true, then the human has to stay alive, for I still have use for her. Do you understand?" the demon fixed Zahar with a stern look which gave no room for argument. She gulped nervously, then nodded reluctantly - the offer was still far more than she had ever hoped for. Yes, the demoness had to be honest with herself, the girl's powers were simply too unpredictable both in nature and in strength for her to take any action unaided. The support of one such as Abaddon, though… Yes, at least there was a chance now, and that was enough. "I do, my Lord." "Then we have a deal, Zahar." a malicious grin appeared on Abaddon's face as his plans suddenly took on a realistic course.

"Here, you may use the information my spy managed to acquire." Abaddon handed over the folder with Thea's personal data. Zahar took the files carefully, briefly flipping through the pages - it truly _was_ the girl. However, another important piece of information came to her attention. "She's… she's studying at the True Cross Academy?" "Ah, yes, unfortunately. That is one of the reasons why getting my hands on those damned documents proved quite challenging." "That might be true, my Lord, but for one such as yourself, certainly not an unattainable feat." the demoness bowed, emphasizing the compliment. "Indeed. You see, the Grigori are also interested in the human girl - that is why they made a deal with a demon to bring them some useful input. Little did those fools know that the shapeshifter they hired also happens to be one of my vassals." the Duke of the Abyss grinned devilishly at the lucky happenstance. "And so, when my vassal infiltrated the Academy, I also ordered him to take more folders at random - now _that_ should stir the waters." his lips curled to reveal the sharp fangs.

Zahar gulped, but managed to cut a smile as well. "I see… how very prudent of you, my Lord. I can already see Samael running a completely useless investigation, trying to find a non-existent connection between the people whose folders went missing." she forced a low chuckle. "Indeed. Now then, let us plan…" Abaddon started pacing, already fully immersed in devising a strategy while Zahar's mind was racing. The reason she asked about the Academy was not quite connected to the girl. It was the demon who ran the Academy that made her skin crawl. Samael, the Lord of Time himself, was in charge of that place. Not only that, the whole Assiah was practically his realm - _every_ demon knew that. After Abaddon had failed to usurp more power in Gehenna for himself, he was punished by becoming Samael's vassal. Now, the very same vassal seemed to be trying to double-cross his master in some dangerous play for power. _"Just what have I gotten myself into…"_ Zahar gulped again, then swiftly joined her lord in planning.

OoO

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 **Disclaimer:** Blue Exorcists belongs to Kazue Katō. Please, do not re-post or publish my story without my consent.

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 **Author's note:** So, as promised, here is another chapter of the beautiful 3-pack ^^ And finally - a little sneak-peak into Thea's past! It was quite a challenge to put all those parallel stories into some coherent unified 'one', but I really hope I managed :) Enjoy and stay tuned for chapter 14, which is basically a direct continuation of chapter 13. I'll just say that I have hiiigh expectation of that one :D.

P.S. Your thoughts and feedback are, as always, very welcome :) They help me what I do right and what I can do better. So thank you all for your reviews and messages!


	14. Muffins Gifted and Spirits Lifted

"So you see… I don't remember a thing." Thea shrugged innocently, completely oblivious to her lost memories from the times when she had been visiting the elementary school. "So that's why you don't remember? Because they hypnotized you at the asylum or something?" Bon wondered, trying to process his classmate's surprising revelation. "...Yeah… they did that too, I think…" the blonde scratched her head in thought, trying to be as earnest as possible. "I only know that I have started seeing demons since I was about nine years old. Most of it is quite blurry, because of all the medicine I was forced to take. They put me through some therapies, hypnosis – and well, that kind of stuff really does things to your memory. I honestly can't believe I managed to finish elementary school..." she giggled, trying to lighten up the mood, but for some reason, her classmates seemed to grow even sadder at that remark. Strange, at this moment, she found it quite… funny?

"There were many kinds of 'treatments', really, but that's not the point. The point is… I understand my parents' decision. I really do… When you think about it, it was completely rational, after all. But I couldn't just live like that! Confined in a solitary room - seriously, who would want a life like that?" she asked, her hands forming a prison-like globe in demonstration. "As soon as I understood that the doctors would not change their mind about my mental state, I started lying." she grinned mischievously and began whispering. "You see, I tricked the bunch of them, claiming that I could no longer see ghosts and demons. Quite funny if you consider that some demons were sometimes strolling about the asylum, flying around me just as I was saying it… Occasionally, the demons were even disguised as the doctors themselves. Must have been a gold mine for them, to feed on the emotions and life force of all those poor, suffering people. And in case anybody _could_ see them, they were completely covered - after all, who would ever believe mentally ill people, right?" she threw up her hands, trying to get her point across. "But that's terrible… I mean, that must have been so hard on you." Konekomaru said in a solemn voice. "Are you kidding me? It was perfect!" Bon's eyes bulged and he started coughing out pieces of fish - just what was wrong with her? "What? I could practice my newly-found powers there and nobody would blink an eye on my strange behavior." _"Yeah, except that you are behaving reeeealy strange right now…"_ Bon thought, the whole situation completely… well, crazy. "Aaanyways, I had to change that in order to trick the doctors. I acted like a perfect child, and so, I was discharged." Thea explained victoriously. And why not? It was, in a way, a victory. A way to her freedom she had earned herself! That was enough of a reason to be happy with the course of her life, right?

"And your parents? Did you trick them, too, Thea?" Shiemi asked with a soft, sad voice, earning herself a jovial smile from the blonde. It did not make sense. "Yes… at first. I knew they would not have accepted it. Why, they would have sent me back to the asylum before I could finish the sentence! I knew that they… they couldn't bear having a mentally ill daughter… You see, they were both veeery important people. They couldn't afford their reputation and image to suffer. No, no… So! When I finished elementary school, I told them. And then, I made a deal with my father." Thea lifted her finger meaningfully. "I promised to disappear from their lives in exchange for a new start in a country of my choice. Can you believe it? I was fifteen and I could travel just anywhere in the whole world! How great is that?" The only answer to her cheerful exclamation were sets of completely confused, bulged eyes and gaping mouths here and there. Why were they gaping at her like that? They looked just so hilarious! Thea could hardly keep herself from laughing at their grumpy expressions. Finally, Yukio broke the absurd atmosphere. "So that's how you ended up in Japan?" he exclaimed in awe and suddenly, there was one less set of confused eyes remaining. "Yeaaah, that's right! I didn't think twice about it - Japan looked just like the perfect place for me. And not just because of the completely thrilling culture. No, no. You see, you have sushi and onigiri, too! I mean, I do miss Pretzel and even Currywurst, but all in all..."

"Whoa, whoa… Thea… what's going on? Forget about stupid sushi… What about your parents and… where did you live?" Rin tried to re-rail the conversation back because he knew that once Thea started on food, they would never hear the end of the story. "How dare you! You take that back right now - sushi is not stupid! Not only does it look cute and delicious, it is also fresh and moist, and it just melts in your mouth… So how could I possibly forget about sushi?!" Thea stood up and put her hands to her hips accusingly, staring murder at the half-demon. Rin started to sweat. _"Is it just me or has Thea just… kind of… snapped?"_ he thought, taking in the uncomfortable looks of his classmates. _"Is it because we made her speak about her past? Oh snap, this is really bad..."_ he gulped nervously, casting meaningful looks at Yukio, but without success. "I am waitiiing." the blonde arched an eyebrow. "Ah, right… yeah, well, sushi is not stupid. Not at all… Just what was I thinking, right? But Thea, … all the talk about the past and your parents, maybe you should…" Rin started nervously, hoping for Yukio to finally step in, but the teacher just sat on his log with a look of utmost focus on his face.

"Oh right, my parents! Well, if you must know, my father used to travel here for business, so he dropped by every time he was here. Well, more like sometimes, then rarely, until the visits stopped completely… I haven't seen him for almost… uff… seven years? Oh, and he never took me back to Germany again. My parents still keep sending some little money to support my studies, but well, the prices sure changed from the time we had made that agreement… It barely covers my rent - and I share the apartment with a schoolmate… But! I have the best grandma in the world! One who always believed in me. She's the one I am grateful for my sanity, really." she giggled, completely forgetting the 'righteous rage' she had felt when sushi had been insulted just moments ago. Again, her carefree giggles caused her friends to shuffle in their seats uncomfortably. "Riiiight… sanity..." Konekomaru whispered to himself, also turning his attention towards their teacher, who seemed to be completely absorbed by Thea's story. _"The teacher is concentrating so much… he is not even blinking - must be devising a plan to handle Thea somehow… What a relief…"_ Konekomaru thought while the blonde inclined her head in confusion - Why would her friends look so nervous? She had just told them how great her grandma was. Maybe it was not convincing enough… "And my grandma is just great, even though she herself is already in a nursing home. Really, she is the best! I mean, she is already around eighty years old and has Alzheimer's too, but she is the most lovable member of my family. Now, that tells you _a lot_ about the rest of my family, too…" she said, slapping her knees laughing. "But she's great! I am telling you!"

"It's fine, Thea. We believe you." Shiemi waved with her hands defensively in front of her. "But Thea, are you… uhm… are you feeling well?" she managed to squeal in her soft voice. "Are you kidding me?! She's obviously lost it!" Izumo exclaimed, throwing her heads up, then shot a dangerous look towards Bon, daring him to pull her at one of her tails. This time though, the aspiring Aria certainly couldn't muster enough concentration to even consider such a thing. His mind was completely preoccupied by the strange, no, _crazy_ behavior of their classmate. "Lost what?" Thea asked, furrowing her eyebrows. "You've got to be kidding me..." Izumo gaped at the blonde. "It's nothing, Thea. Just sit down and…" Rin stood up, reaching for the girl. "Silence!" came a serious order from the young teacher and the lot turned towards him in expectation, holding their breaths. "You are all forgetting one crucial thing. A piece of information Thea has not shared yet. Thea, you must tell us, and you must be completely honest. Which one do you prefer - sushi or onigiri?"

"What?!" came an almost collective, dumb-founded cry, while the golden-haired member with chocolate-brown eyes smiled widely. Thea immediately calmed down, sat near the fire, exhaled, and brought herself to focus. Then, with a deadly serious look in her eyes, she started explaining. "That's a really good question, teach'! You see, sushi is great because you always know what you can be looking forward to - you see aaall the tasty ingredients at the first glance, not to mention… to mention… you know… how beautifully they are arranged… The onigiri on the other hand… they are just like… ehm… like Kinder Überraschung! You know, the surprise awaits inside!" "What is Uebe… ahm, how was it again?" Yukio scratched his head in serious thought while his students were gaping at him. "Oh right, it's a chocolate egg. It _looks_ like a normal egg, but it is made of _chocolate_. And inside, there's a surprise! Kids in Europe just love it!" "You don't say… remarkable! You must tell me more about these eggs." the teacher kept nodding excitedly, waiting for more. "Well, the surprise is really surprising. Like a… a big surprise. So big that it was banned in the US! Guess the American's cannot handle surprises very well…" Thea giggled. She just felt so happy, enthusiastic, and _alive_ \- this night was a good idea after all! "But what _is_ the surprise?" Yukio demanded. "Are you serious?! It's just Kinder eggs, you know these..." Rin grabbed Yukio at his shirt, shaking him. "Don't encourage her, man! We need to do something, so stop babbling about surprises and food!"

"You are absolutely right, Rin!" the young teacher looked at his brother in awe. "We should stop _talking_ about food and _make_ some instead. What do you say, Thea?" he eyed the blonde and she immediately brightened. "OMG, yes! I am starving. Rin, where's the rest of the fish?" The half-demon turned his head to Thea, then to Yukio and back to Thea again. "All right, what the hell is going on, you two? If this is a joke, it ain't funny! You're creeping me out." The blonde folded her hands again and a deadly serious expression settled on her face. "I _never_ joke about food, Rin. Now, where are the fish?" "Huh? There's no more fish, Thea. We have barely any food left, but that's not the point. Guys come on; would you help me out?" Rin urged his friends who sat on the logs around the fire with an air of pure disbelief. "NO MORE FOOD?!" came Yukio's and Thea's freaked out voices. "No, that's impossible. Rin, tell me you've got some more! You have to!" the chocolate-eyed girl started shaking him pleadingly. Suddenly, she felt a soft hand on her shoulder - having summoned up enough courage to approach her creepy-growing classmate, Shiemi decided to step in. "T-Thea… Rin is telling the truth, we only brought some sweets and snacks and well… we ate them all while waiting for Rin to prepare the fish, remember?" she smiled nervously. "Nooooooo! No more food!" Thea sunk to her knees, leaning on the palms of her hands and shook her head. "We are all gonna dieee…" Yukio knelt beside the girl swiftly, taking her hands into his. "No Thea, don't say that! I know the situation seems really bad now, but I promise, I… I will find a solution! As is my responsibility as a teacher!"

"I think we should call someone for help…" Konekomaru gulped as he regarded the teacher, who has obviously completely lost it, too. "Hell no!" Izumo bellowed. "We are going to be exorcists, for God's sake! We purify evil and fight against demons - we can handle two crazy people, too! So, any ideas what might be going on?" she looked at the sanely-behaving people in the group in expectation. Shaking his head, Bon shared the results of his swift check. "I have already casted a few spells to see if they are possessed, but… nothing. Apart from Rin, there's no demonic energy whatsoever. Maybe they are just… you know, drunk?" he cast an eye on Thea, who was still sitting on the ground, chanting 'so hungry, so hungry, so hungry…'. "No-no, I made sure to bring only non-alcoholic beer… at least after the teacher had decided to show up in the end…" Konekomaru grinned innocently and Bon just shrugged. "Well, what does it matter? They are not doing anything dangerous… Maybe we should just sit and relax and let them have some fun." A frown was all he got from Izumo, but the twin-tailed girl nodded slowly. "I guess… But as soon as things get out of hand, we are pacifying them."

"I've got it!" The teacher suddenly exclaimed and scrambled up to Shiemi. "Shiemi, you are the one who can save us!" "Wha… wait, what are you saying, Yuki?" the girl stuttered while her cheeks took on a dark-red shade. "It's obvious, isn't it? Your familiar is a Greenman. Well then, summon him and make him sprout some vegetables for Rin to prepare." "What? Vegetables? But Yuki… I don't think…" "Hurry up, there's no time!" he ran his fingers through his hair, then pointed at Thea who was still slumped on the ground, the prospect of doom written all over her face. "Don't listen to him, Shiemi. We need to do something about them and quickly." Rin walked off towards Izumo and the others, as he heard them already speaking about possible plans of action. Or rather, he tried to walk off, but Yukio snatched him at his arm. "And where do you think you are going, big brother?" he fixed Rin with a firm, uncompromising stare. "Who do you think is going to cook?" "Let go of me you four-eyed moron!" To Rin's surprise, Thea caught his other arm and pleaded. "Rin, please, please, cook for us." "H-hey… let go, you two! Guys… I would really appreciate some help over here!" the half-demon turned towards his friends sitting around the firepit. "Oh shush, just cook for them already." Izumo brushed him off and turned towards the fire to finally finish her fish. "Oh yeah? From what? Tsk…" Rin untangled himself from their grip and started running towards Shura's weekend house - maybe there was still some rice left. "Nooooo! Yukio, our chef is running away!" Thea cried out in a desperate voice.

Rin's body abruptly spasmed and he dropped to the ground, as a strong surge of electric energy shot through him. Everybody gasped. Then, the lot started laughing like crazy. "Yu-Yukio, you just… you shocked everybody… hahaha… with, with one taser! Oh man… look how s-shocked… everyone is!" Bon was rolling on the ground, holding his stomach. "Nothing dangerous, huh?" Izumo arched an eyebrow at Bon, pulling at his earring, but couldn't help to keep her own chuckles under control. "Rin!" Shiemi - the only merciful person - ran towards the boy on the ground quickly, checking for any injuries. "What the hell?!" the half-demon shot a deadly look towards Yukio, who was just putting his taser back to the holster. "Did you just… did you tase me?!" "Oh, don't make such a fuss about it… you know very well that your body is much stronger. Besides…" the teacher said a little sluggishly "we can't… can't risk you leaving. Stop being so goddamn selfish! If you leave now, Thea is going to die from hunger! Is that what you want?! Have you even thought about it?!" he said, emphasizing every word very carefully while waving with his hands in exaggeration. "Y-you are crazy! I am tired of this shit! Whatever is wrong with you, you two need help. Professional help!" Rin pointed a finger at 'those two' accusingly, trying to stand up with Shiemi's help.

"Thea, now!" Yukio shouted and bright runes started forming around Rin, closing into a demon-binding circle. "Yey! I got him, I got him! Did you see, teacher?" Thea cheered, jumping, then rushed towards them. "Well, I am impressed, Miss… ahm, Miss Heilbrunn. Have you been practicing?" "You bet! Now Rin, please, please cook for us." For a moment there, Rin truly panicked - when did she learn to cast those nasty things so fast? She didn't even use an incantation. However, the initial panic disappeared as soon as he realized that he actually could move around freely. And so, he stepped out of the binding circle and walked towards the surprised blonde. "Sheesh, you freaked me out for a moment there… What were you thinking? I am the good guy, remember?!" Rin stomped and poked the stunned girl in the chest. "B-but how? My binding circleee!" she gaped, burying her fingers in her hair in frustration. "Well, Miss Heiru.. Hei… Thea, the spell has to be stronger than the demon… and my big brother happens to be quite a strong one…" Yukio patted her at the back, then turned towards Rin. "But are you reeealy a good guy here, Rin? Because a good guy, a reeeally good guy would not let us all starve to death!" he said pointedly, and Rin only gawked. In the meantime, Thea still tried to collect herself from the fact that Rin had been able to leave her trap. "But it worked on Sir Pheles! I trapped him in my circle and then..." she protested but was cut off by Izumo who rolled her eyes at that statement. "Riiiigt, and _I_ took down the Leviathan." she said sarcastically. "You did?!" Thea put her palms to her cheeks while Izumo's eye twitched and Konekomaru almost choked on his coke. "Woooow, that is sooo coool!" Thea kept on marveling.

"Oh, forget it. We have to do something about those two." Rin waved his hands in the air. "Shiemi, do you think you could help me out here? I think they won't let me off the hook until I cook for them…" She nodded, determined to fix the situation and be useful for a change. "I'll do my best, Rin. Let us cook together. I am sure that you will be able to turn just anything to a delicious meal." she smiled encouragingly, and the half-demon's heart skipped a beat. _"I am going to cook with Shiemi. And she thinks I am a cooking genius! Hell yeah! Alright, pull yourself together, man! You'd better nail this."_ "You guys… you're the best! You really _do_ care…" Thea suddenly hugged them both. "Yeah, yeah, now shoo, we need some space." Rin waved her off, getting to work.

OoO

Thea and Yukio were pacing around, not leaving their sight from all the vegetables Shiemi's familiar managed to summon. The lot was so incredibly hungry that they ate every last bit of food they had managed to find, including the last package of sesame-chocolate bars and all marshmallows. Rin sulked _"Those marshmallows were supposed to be used for s'mores! Oh maaaan…"_ "Is it ready?" Yukio kept asking and Rin had to push him away from the small table. "No, it's not. Give it a break, already!" "And now?" Thea asked, leaning in from the other side, trying to put a finger into the sauce he's been preparing. "Hey! Put that hand away! Do you want to burn yourself?" he tried to brush Thea off. "It's fine, I will starve to death before I burn to death. And teeeach' here is a doctor!" she giggled, completely unconcerned, but Rin caught her hand before she could do any damage. "All right, quit it!" Izumo thundered, pulling Thea and Yukio away. "Everyone is already cooking, so do us a favor and get out of the way. Don't you have anything better to do?" she threatened with a huge cucumber Shiemi's familiar had just produced. "Oh, that's right… we are camping, after all. We should be doing some camping activities… I know! A proper camping requires singing by the campfire! Oh, Izumooo, you are a genius!" Thea started jumping around happily, hugging everyone in sight. "H-hey, careful there around that firepit! And besides, there's no way I am gonna sing." her cheeks puffed up and Bon grinned. "So, Miss Perfect cannot sing?" he poked her with a spoon and could see those puffed-up cheeks go almost purple from embarrassment. "Tsk… of course I can sing. I just don't like singing and karaoke and all that nonsense…"

"Hey, Yukiooo, let's sing!" Thea pulled him at his hand enthusiastically and Rin burst out with laughter. "Pfff… as if that uptight smart-ass would sing. I mean, he _is_ acting weird tonight, but there are just some boundaries he…" "Yeaaaaaaaaah! Let's sing, Theaaaa!" the teacher cut Rin off, rushing towards Thea, whose face was now beaming. "Yey! OK, let's do this, peopleee! Aaand: ~Neunundneunzig Luftballons, auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont~" The classmates turned towards her. "Oh, that's right… I almost forgot she's German…" Konekomaru giggled, waiting for their teacher's reaction. "Thea! Thea, that was sooo melodious and… beautiful! Please, you have to teach me that song!" he bowed, then adjusted his glasses in concentration. "Aber natüüüürlich, teacher! It goes like this…" Thea started her song again and Yukio joined in. "~Ha-stu e-twaa tse-tuu fuu mi-huu~" "No, no, like this: ~Hast du etwas Zeit für mich? Dann singe ich ein Lied für dich~" the blonde corrected, and Yukio tried again. "Hmm… I think I know what the problem is, teach'." she tapped her lips in serious thought, then grabbed a spoon out of the table and handed it to Yukio. "You forgot your microphone! You know you cannot sing without a microphone..." "Of course! How could I have missed that? Thank you, Thea. Now, let's try again…"

The group of students just gaped, then Izumo burst into laughter. "Alright, _this_ is hilarious!" Izumo clutched her stomach and she had to brush tears out of her eyes. Soon, the rest of the cooking squad joined in - both the laughter and the singing, because as a certain half-demon put it "Oh, why the hell not?". Whatever was going on with Thea, she proved unexpectedly eager and competent in instructing everyone in the correct pronunciation and meaning of the lyrics. Shiemi was quite surprised how easily she could remember those strange, long words, while Konekomaru just chuckled. "You know, I always thought that when the Germans speak, they sound kinda… terrifying." "You mean like they were planning another invasion?" Bon arched an eyebrow, amusement playing in his eyes, and Konekomaru nodded through the chuckles. "Yeaaah, kinda… but the songs are actually quite catchy. As long as they are about Luftballons and not Luftwaffe, that is…" he grinned.

"Boy, those two are absolutely unstoppable. That's just crazy…" Izumo shook her head while looking at the dancing and singing Yukio and Thea. A wide smile was gracing her lips - she still couldn't believe the classmates managed to persuade _her_ into singing. "Damn right, it is. That's why we're gonna make sure we can throw it in their faces later on." Rin grinned devilishly and pulled out his cell phone. Soon, dozens of photos of the singing duo were filling its memory, not to mention videos. In the first one, they started dancing together. The second one captured that memorable moment when the crazy duo attempted the lift-move from Dirty Dancing, and surprisingly, Thea proved strong enough to lift him in the air. Not to mention that Yukio managed to look quite graceful just hanging there… Then, another splendid idea came to his mind - the group of them made a selfie with the two oblivious, dancing idiots in the background.

"Oh boy, this is gonna be fun." Rin smirked and sent the juicy material to Shura - she always shared the hobby of teasing Yukio with him, so he figured that she would appreciate such splendid material. The rest will be used for some serious negotiating, bribing or outright blackmailing. "Gee, Okumura, you are really scaring me." Bon chuckled, but could not get the smile out of his face. "I'm glad that they are happy, but man, Thea just…" Konekomaru shook his head, unable to finish the sentence. Fortunately, the old, blunt Izumo was there to save the moment. "Yeah, she's a terrible singer. Seriously… do all future doctors think that they excel at everything or is it just her?" "Oh, you haven't seen half of it yet. She also thinks she can draw." Rin grinned, remembering that picture of him and his aura which Thea had produced a few weeks ago.

OoO

Shura was flipping through the endless pile of papers on the desk. The 'evening meeting' of the investigation group was obviously going to end up as an all-nighter. She wished there was a way to escape this bureaucratic torture. _"Just how did Yukio manage to wriggle his way out of this? Oh man..."_ she pouted. A cup of coffee appeared on her desk and Angeline, the plump teacher of holy scripture recitation, smiled at the red-haired colleague. "Here you go, dear. It looks like we are going to stay here for a while." she said and sat down to her own stack. Shura frowned but gulped down the coffee in one go. _"Great, just great… I should be drinking sake at some nice, fun, lively place in the city. Or at home… in the bathtub… I don't care anymore…"_ she sulked, massaging her temples. _"I can't believe we still haven't found any clue. There just seems to be no connection between the students. Even the school years do not match. Something fishy is going on. And this time, it actually seems like Mephisto truly doesn't have his claws in it. Or maybe that is the exact thing he wishes us to believe… Insufferable demon!"_ Her musings were interrupted as her cell phone was seized by a series of vibrations. "Heh, sorry…" Shura apologized as she felt the piercing gazes of her irritated colleagues. "I'd better take this outside." The outburst of laughter which sounded from the hall was so loud that Angeline dropped the stack of papers she had been trying to move. "What on Earth?!" she exclaimed. Little did she know that Shura's night had just gone from terribly boring to unbelievably amusing. "Oh, Yukio, you four-eyed chicken! Who would have thought you had it in you? You're never gonna hear the end of this!" the Exorcist held her stomach, trying to catch a breath, as she viewed the video of Yukio with a little carrot behind his ear, explaining the combat potential of kinder eggs into a big wooden spoon the Heilbrunn girl was holding out for him. Seriously… was the guy drunk?

OoO

After the Lord of Time had shifted back to Tokyo, he slumped down to his cushioned chair and exhaled. "What a day…" he put down the glasses and massaged his temples, trying to regain some peace of mind. He almost wished he had not managed to acquire Thea's medical records from the mental asylum. Having seen all the 'medicine' and special procedures the girl had been put through, the demon found it a small miracle she had turned out the way she had. _"No wonder she tried to keep a low profile and avoided me at the beginning… Not to mention why she was so thankful to be admitted to my Academy..."_ he ran his fingers through his hair and closed his eyes. Despite his tiredness, he was pleased with the results of his investigation. True, the search did not answer all of his questions, but it certainly helped shed a light on the girl's past. _"I wonder how she is…"_ he thought, his mind slowly slipping to the so-needed nap, only to be interrupted by his beeping cell phone. "Oh, verdammt! I just can't catch a break today." Mephisto shot a sour look at the device, then checked the messages from Shura. He expected to hear about the details of the investigation, but the series of images which flooded his phone proved him wrong. In a few seconds, a sonorous laugh filled his office. "Dear Lord, Thea sure knows how to party. To think she was able to persuade young Okumura into singing, too…" he chuckled, as his mood brightened instantly. "Enjoy the camping, dear." the Lord of Time smiled fondly and slipped to a peaceful slumber.

OoO

"The stars are so pretty tonight." Shiemi sighed, looking at Rin while preparing the vegetables her Greenman had produced. "They sure are. But not as pretty as y…" the half-demon tried to compliment his crush but was rudely interrupted by the idiot-duo laying on the ground at the campfire. "Oh my God, that one star fell! Did you see, Thea?" Yukio started laughing and the blonde sat up swiftly. "I saw it, too! But… what if it got hurt, teach'? We gotta help! It fell from such a height!" "Nah, it's just clumsy, that's all… See? It's already up again." he pointed to the sky and the girl followed his index finger. After a good five minutes of silent and intense search of the night sky, Thea inclined her head "Oh, you're right…" she said, then lay down into the grass again. "They are sooo bright…" Yukio marveled, suddenly feeling one with the universe. "Yeah… sooo shinyyy… white, almost blue… just like the little flame in your eye…" Thea sighed.

"Just what on Earth are those two babbling about?" Izumo scratched her head in confusion, looking at Bon questioningly. However, her friend knew better than to keep trying to understand Thea and Yukio that night. "Dunno… I told you, maybe they are just drunk or something. Might be food-poisoning, too." Bon shrugged and Konekomaru gulped nervously when he heard Bon's theory - eating Thea's 'vegetable curry' proved, after all, quite dangerous. "You might be right, Bon… Those two did not eat the curry, but they are the only ones who ate the cookies Thea made. Teacher is one brave fool… and they were not as lucky as to throw it up." Konekomaru tried to find a reason behind that crazy behavior, then sulked. "Oh man, I know I threw up almost all of the food, but still… Are these my last moments of sanity?" he clasped his hands around his torso in panic. "Could be, could be." Bon nodded, unaware of the wave of nervousness which hit his friend after that statement. "Tsk… who knows what kind of a crazy mixture she managed to create?" Bon continued, as he threw the rest of the cookies into the pond - better safe than sorry. "Whatever it was, I hope Rin's food will fix it." Izumo frowned, then turned to slice the rest of the sweet potatoes.

OoO

"The stars…. are sooo prettyyy…" "Dammit, Yukio! Focus already! Where-did-Thea-go?" Rin pronounced every word with great care while he held his brother at his shirt, shaking him profoundly. He has finally finished cooking, only to learn that one of his hungry friends had gone missing. "I am so sorry, Rin. It's all my fault. I…" came a soft apology full of regret from Shiemi, but before she could add any more to her guilt, Izumo cut her off. "Oh, stop it already. It's not your fault - we never should have left those two idiots alone." Konekomaru nodded and tried to move the conversation to a more practical course. "OK, what do we know… They went to Miss Kirigakure's cottage because Thea was cold and wanted to fetch her sweatshirt. Then what?" "I… well… Thea couldn't find her bag in there, so Yukio asked me to see if it was outside at the campfire… and I went!" Shiemi covered her face with both hands in embarrassment. "I had one job, _one_ …" she shook her head. "Did she take anything with her?" Izumo checked. "No, she left everything here, even her cell phone." Bon frowned.

"Yukio! Where is she? Why did she go away?" Rin continued his interrogation and something akin to a sobriety sparked in Yukio's eyes for a brief moment. "Oh, yes… she left… because she's more than eighteen." The classmates gaped, then a smack sounded as Bon facepalmed himself. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" the half-demon kept shaking the teacher, until he tried to explain again. "S-she left because she… she is older than me, and 'cause she was useless… and also, 'cause she was not useless…" "You're the useless one, you idiot!" Rin pouted, the frustration overcoming his better judgement. "This whole interrogation is useless, Okumura - we need to search the area. Someone in her state should not be running around freely." Bon urged and Izumo nodded, for once agreeing with her classmate. "All right, let's split into groups and check the forest. She couldn't have gone too far." Konekomaru suggested. "OK, meet-up back here in thirty minutes. If anyone finds her, let us know - if you manage to catch any signal on your cell phones, that is." "Rin… Rin, the staaars! The stars are sooo pretty…" Yukio continued babbling another nonsense, only to be interrupted by the completely annoyed, almost deathly glare of his brother. "And _you_ are going with _me_."

OoO

"Found her yet?" Izumo asked Bon and Konekomaru, who were already sitting at the campfire as agreed. "Nah, nothing… We looked everywhere, but we haven't seen her." "We haven't found her either." Shiemi said, trying not to sound too panicked, then Izumo added. "I had my familiars help with the search - they caught her trail, but it got mixed with the scents of some other campers, then it turned out that they just had cinnamon rolls for dinner..." "Wait, how does that have anything to do with her trail?" Konekomaru wondered. "Because apparently, Thea smells like honey and cinnamon… Or so Mike and Uke kept saying. Anyways, that's not the point…"

"Come on man, move it! Everyone is waiting for us!" came Rin's voice from the forest - he was pulling Yukio at his arm, trying to keep him at his side, while the teacher kept pointing at everything that gave off light. "Well, you haven't found her either, I see…" Izumo casted a disappointed look at the half-demon. "With this dead-weight? I was glad the moron did not trip himself to death… That reminds me!" Rin reached for the strange makeshift bag on his back he had produced out of his jacket. "We'd better keep these away from him for now." a heavy weight crashed to the ground as Rin put down the jacket with all Yukio's guns and other equipment. "Well, I'm surprised, Okumura. That's one of the smartest things you ever came up with." Bon grinned and took the little armory to hide it someplace safe, silently wondering just where the teacher managed to hide all of it. Surprisingly, the teacher did not seem too concerned for his confiscated weapons. Instead, his full concentration was turned towards the sky and its shiny stars. "We need to think about our next course of action. This is getting out of hand…" Konekomaru folded his arms in thought and Shiemi just nodded. "Damn! We really screwed up here…" Rin sat down at one of the logs, then buried his head into his hands. "I can already see her… out there in the dark, crying somewhere, scared, maybe even…"

A sudden sound of approaching music accompanied by a set of lights interrupted Rin's grim-growing thoughts. Every member of the camping group - apart from the one who was rendered completely useless that night - was at the ready, breath held in anticipation. Abruptly, a ridiculously pink limousine emerged from the forest and stopped in the middle of the clearing, right in front of the stunned group of students. "What in the world…" Izumo gaped at the monstrosity of a car. "Wait a minute… I know that one!" Rin said as realization hit him. "That's Mephisto's limo!" "Oh no… this is bad... What if the headmaster learns that Thea…" Shiemi cringed, but before she could finish her sentence, the darkened window at the driver's seat slid down, revealing the very person they had been searching for.

"Heeeey! That's my singing budyyyy!" Yukio called out, waving to Thea. "Hey theeere, fellas!" the blonde waved back while 'the fellas' were staring at her in disbelief. She was wearing Mephisto's hat that she must have found somewhere in the limo - it barely managed to hold on her small head and was kept in place only by her unruly locks. She also had his long jacket over her shoulders. However, their headmaster was not there with her. "Hey, where is Sir Pheles? Wait... Don't tell me she… she stole his limousine?!" Bon pulled at his hair in utter disbelief. "T-Thea… what happened? How…? Where did you go? And why did you leave in the first place?! Do you have any idea how worried we were, you idiot?!" Rin yelled, trying to outvoice the sound of music, though he was silently happy that Thea seemed to be just fine. "Because I am oooolder than youuuu, of course!" she started waving her finger in explanation. Or maybe she was just counting out her age? She was not sure anymore… In any case, her friends gawked at her again. They did that a lot that night… "And 'cause I am not useless! See? See?" she kept waving her hands, pointing at her person.

"Ha! Told yaaa~" Yukio started laughing, then walked towards the limo and opened the door for Thea in a flamboyant gesture, helping her out. "Aaaaw, thanks teach'. You know guys… you are just all so smaaart and coooool! And young! Man, you are so young... The teach' is sixteeeeen, and he's a teach', for God's sake! And he's got the guns and aaall that dangerous stuff…" the blonde started gesturing wildly, pointing at every member of the camping squad. "You are just all sooo cool with your fire-swords, fatal verses and cuuute, super-powerful familiars... But! There is one thing… one thing I can do that you can't!" she patted the roof of the pink car. "I am older than eighteeeen. So Iiiii can drive! Ha! Take that, teenagers, ahaha!" the girl started laughing almost devilishly, Mephisto's attire only helping to emphasize the crazy, unpredictable atmosphere. "Well, the fact that you _can_ does not mean you _should_." Izumo humped, looking at the blonde pointedly. "I _can_ and I _will_." Thea folded her hands and lifted her chin, grinning dangerously, daring Izumo to object any further. "Oh crap… that smile makes my skin crawl…" Bon rubbed his shoulders as if he were cold. "Tell me about it… we need to pacify her somehow, but I kind of… don't feel up to it..." Konekomaru gulped.

"But heeey, don't get all jealous, now. After all, I brought this beautieee to take you for a ride~" Thea tried to outline the car's curves with her hands. "No way in hell am I getting into that pink thing with you on the steering wheel." Izumo scolded her friend. "Why not? It's just sooo looong and big… Sweet Jesus, it's bigger than my dorm-room!" Thea gaped as if she had just realized that fact. "And it's got more food, too! There's an actual bar with like a ton of sweets in the back. I swear, I checked! Sooo, whaddaya say?" "But Thea… what about the food? Right? You were so hungry, remember?" Shiemi suggested, trying to redirect Thea's thoughts from dangerous to positively safe. "Good thinking, Shiemi." Rin whispered and showed her thumbs up, then he opened the pot cover to reveal a delicious-smelling vegetable mix. "Foooooooood!" The blonde exclaimed suddenly and rushed off towards the pots and plates, Yukio trailing right behind her - they descended upon Rin's culinary creations like a swarm of locusts. "H-hey you! Don't just gulp it down like some barbarians! I put my soul into it, you know?!" the half-demon chastised and pouted. "You did? Oh God… ooooooh God, Rin… Did I… Did I eat your soul?!" Thea clasped her hands to her cheeks, her eyes wide in terror. Rin's eyes also went wide, but for completely different reasons. "Of course not, Thea, it's a figure of speech… Joking, I was joking!" the teenage boy tried to explain to the confused-looking friend. Suddenly, Thea exhaled. "Boy, you scared me! Don't just go joking about food, Rin!" the blonde shook her head, then kept eating, while Yukio kept chanting "Must eat, must eat, must eat!"

Once the two hungry caterpillars finished everything Rin had prepared, Thea asked for seconds. "B-but Thea… you can't possibly want more… I mean, do you have any idea how much of it you already ate?!" Rin questioned, disbelief written all over his face. "Seconds." the blonde insisted stubbornly. "We don't have any seconds, Thea… You ate them all! Together with the 'thirds' and 'fourths'" the half-demon gestured, emphasizing the fact that she just ate a portion that would have kept a football team at full strength. "N-no seconds? Nooooooo… What are we gonna do? What are we gonna do?" Yukio started panicking as he heard that, his hands buried in his hair in despair. "Don't worry, teach'. This time, _I_ will… I will save the situation! Let's gooooo!" Thea ordered and started towards the limo. "Eeeveryone! We can do this! For the foooood!" she turned in what was supposed to be a theatrical pirouette but ended up on the ground instead. "Thea!" Shiemi cried out, rushing to help. Fortunately, Yukio was already at her side, picking her up. "Thea, are you OK? Oh my, hang on, I am going to fetch something to clean that…" Shiemi said as soon as she saw the small trail of blood rushing down her thigh and knee. "Naaah, don't worry, the stain will wash off. I've got a veeeery good laundry agent." "Theaaa! That's not funny. You are hurt." the girl pulled her hands to her chest in worry. "Huh? Oh that…" Thea eyed that scratch she managed to get herself. "Shiemi, that is no problem at all! I will take care of Thea. I am the… you know… I am trained for this kind of situation, because I am… ehm… the guy, after all." Yukio tried to explain to the confused lot.

"Now, what teach' here is trying to say is that we both are the... oh geez, how do you… you know, we are the guys in white…" Thea attempted to interpret, but her brain felt like jelly, unable to find the right words. Yukio's brows furrowed in thought. "Hmm, guys in white you say… like Ku-Klux-Klan?" Thea looked at him in confusion. "Huh? Nooo… not them… Aaall white, they give you the shots… and… you know, sometimes they miss, too..." "Ooooh, you mean Storm Troopers?" Yukio guessed again and Thea just started laughing. "You are not very good at this, are you teach'?" "Miss Heil… Heilru… oh screw it! Thea, you should reeealy work on your espla… esplanation skills, you know?" the teacher chastised with an outstretched finger, until Rin completely exploded. "Oh my God, the word you are looking for is _doctor,_ for Heaven's sake!" "Ah, that I am! But enough chit-chat, we have to clean that smudge..." Yukio lifted Thea up and started towards the cottage, carrying her bride-style, while she was waving at the group enthusiastically. "Oh, no, no, no! No way in hell are you going to try to treat her in your state. You are dangerous for yourself and…" Rin stopped in his trails as he heard a strange music. "Oh crap! That's Yukio's cell phone. We gotta find it or..." "So? Just let it ring, they'll call later." Bon shrugged, but Izumo stepped in. "No, it's not that easy. It might be an emergency - he's a teacher, they often get these calls with new missions. Why, the Academy might be in trouble." "Well yes, but even if that turned out to be true, what is he supposed to do in such a state?" Konekomaru tried to argue. The phone stopped ringing and the students exhaled for a moment. Then it started ringing again. "Oh crap, that seems to be serious. OK, everybody, stay cool! We've got a nice boring camping, nothing crazy going on, at all!"

OoO

"OK, Thea, we need to… you know… deee-sin-fect… pfff…" Yukio started laughing, clutching his stomach. "You know... clean that wound. Just give me a sec, Shura sure has some bottles around here." Yukio started searching the cupboards and indeed, there was no shortage of liquor in Shura's stock. "Yeaaah, good old Shura. You can aaaalways count on her…" the teacher reached for a bottle, then brought it up to Thea. "Oh, thanks, teach'." the blonde said, then opened the bottle and took a sip. "Thea… what are you doing?" he inclined his head in confusion, but the girl just looked at him in a matter-of-factly way. "You are the doc, you brought me medicine, riiigt? But - I am also a future-doc, I study medicine, you know?! Aaand I know veeeery well how to use this one… So, I'm disinfecting." she said knowingly. "Oh, riiiight… Thea, that's brilliant! I completely forgot that alcohol is usually taken inter… intra… oh man… disinfects the inside, too…" "Yeah… you forgot, yet you are the doc and I'm not… Life really sucks sometimes..." she took three swigs straight from the bottle, then handed it to Yukio. "You'd better take a dose, too." "Oh, nooo, Thea… I have no need to be disinfected." "What are you talking about, teach'? A doc must aaaalways disinfect when they treat a patient. My, my, basics, teach'!" Thea shook her head disappointedly. "Gee Thea, you are riiiight." "Sure I'm right. Aaand, if you prescribe it… " Yukio's eyes sparkled, he smiled widely and soon, they both were laughing, emptying the bottle.

"Oh… dear Lord… that's just sooo terrible, Thea… How can Shura, how can s-she possibly drink this disgustiiing stuff?!" Yukio grimaced as he took another gulp. "I have noooo idea… Ayami does that a lot, too… I s-still don't get it… But that doesn't matter, teach'. We have to be strong and… and you know… dis-disen… we have to clean eeeverything properly." the blonde encouraged then helped herself to another sip. "That's truuuue. I will not be a disgrace to my fellow doc's, no-no!" Yukio adjusted his glasses professionally, then drank again. "Hihi… Teach'! Teach'! Do you know what t-that bottle and youuu have in common? You… you both are getting, you know, getting drunk… ahaha… " Thea started laughing all over. "I-I think I don't get it… hahaha…" the teacher joined, clapping Thea at her back.

OoO

"Yeah, yeah, everything's just fine, Shura. You can make fun of that four-eyed moron some other time. But right now, I've reeeealy gotta go, because the… uh, the s'mores are almost ready. See ya!" Rin swiftly hung up, exhaling. "So?" Bon lifted an eyebrow and the half-demon just showed him thumbs up. "All good. Shura just wanted to tease my brother, 'cause he managed to find a way out of some boring paperwork and ended up here with…" "Eeeverybody on boaaard!" came Thea's excited voice from the driver's seat of the limo. "Thaaaat's right folks, we're leeeaving!" Yukio ordered again, waving from the roof window. "Oh no… we left them alone… again!" Shiemi put her hands to her lips as the realization dawned on her - they were just so absorbed in handling the call with Shura as inconspicuous as possible, showing her how normally they were behaving, that they had completely forgotten about those two. "You've got to be kidding me!" Izumo gawked and Rin joined her "Whoa there, Thea, wait, you can't drive…" "I believe we already had that conversation, Rin. I _can_ drive and I _will_. Now then, let's gooo! I am not waiting for aaanybody, so you'd better hop in." she grinned, honking, and blasting the crazy German song that went ~Eins, zwei, Polizei - Drei, vier, Grenadier~. Rin grimaced, completely annoyed. _"Dammit, how is it possible that I can't remember one measly fatal verse against hog-goblins, yet that idiotic song is already stuck in my head?! Aaaargh!"_

"Oh, what the hell…" the half-demon ran his fingers through his hair and jumped into the spacious, luxurious car as it was starting to move already. "Wait, Rin, you can't be serious about this…" Shiemi's eyes widened. "Come on, or they will really leave us in here!" he called out and the students rushed into the limo that was already picking up speed, barely making it in time. When inside, Izumo just shook her head. "This is _crazy_." "And what do you expect me to do? When I try to stop them, they are gonna tase me or trap me in a binding circle - maybe for real this time - and then run off… Or Thea will crash that car and kill us all, for all I know! And if the crash doesn't kill us, Mephisto will for sure! Dammit, I'd better tag along and make sure they make it out alive tonight." Rin explained through heavy breaths, but Izumo just shook her head again and started giggling, no longer able to contain all that excitement. "No, I meant… This is _crazy_ , but also kind of… fun." she grinned and Konekomaru burst out with laughter - to think that the ever-so-serious classmate would enjoy this madness seemed just so alien to him. Soon, the whole backseat-section was full of laughter. "By the way, Thea, where are we going?" Bon knocked on the little window separating the driver's section from the passenger one. The window soon slid down, revealing their grinning friend. "To survive, we must seeeeek the king!" she said seriously, then sped up the limo.

OoO

"Two large King frieees, two Crispy chicken burgers, one Cheeseburger,... oh, and one Suuuuper strawberry shake!" Thea ordered after nearly crashing the car at the Burger King, then inclined her head to her friends and asked "And what will you have, guys?" she smiled, completely oblivious to the stunned shop-assistant at the counter. "Oh man, when she said she wanted to see the king, I did not see _this one_ coming." Bon grinned, then cheerfully ordered Double Colorado and some mineral water. He could not quite believe it, but Thea sure knew how to drive - even such a monstrosity as the principal's limousine, not to mention in that… peculiar state of hers. Rin did not look half as unconcerned as he claimed to be. "Boy, this is getting really exhausting." Rin sat down at the table, gulping down the cup of ice-coffee, wishing his energy reserve was as endless as Thea's. At least Yukio had finally passed out in the limo, where they left him. Apparently, he had drunk some alcohol before and the bottle of water he had brought from Shura's cottage was everything, but water. Well… too late for that. At least their driver was not drunk… The alcohol they smelled on Thea was just the disinfection, right?

"I am glad we at least managed to get the girls back home." Bon tried to cheer Rin up, clapping him at the back, then munched at the huge burger. "Yeah, Konekomaru just texted me, Shiemi is fine and he's now also on his way home." "Speaking about getting the girls back home, what about Thea?" Bon asked, glancing towards the blonde. "I'll take care of her… We are actually quite close to her dorms, I think. But she'd better not be driving again…" the half-demon turned towards the blonde who was sipping her strawberry shake happily. "Well… I'd love to see you try and stop her." the future Aria chuckled and took another bite. "Tsk… watch and learn - Hey Thea, want a piece of my chocolate cake?" The blonde's eyes suddenly sparkled, and she put her hands to her cheeks. "You've got a cake? B-but hooow? The lady… she told me that there was no cake left this late in the night... Was she lying, Rin? Is it because I don't deserve a cake? 'Cause I'm oooold? Is that it, Riiiin?" the blonde whimpered, tears at the brink of falling. "N-no, nooo, of course not, Thea." the half-demon tried to calm her down. "It's just that I have the last piece." "Oh, you doooo?" she started looking at the cake admiringly. "Would you like to have it?" "Of course! I'll do anything, Rin!" "Then give me the car keys." he smirked at the girl and held out the palm of his hand. "Deal! Hahaha, got youuu. That's _not_ really _my_ car, ahaha." Thea burst into laughter and handed over the keys, leaving the boys completely stunned - well, they could not really argue with that logic. "Ooooh, you demons really dooo make the best deals." she grinned enthusiastically while Rin finally collected himself. "Right, now let's hope Mephisto won't be too angry when he finds out…"

"Whyyyy would he be angry?" Thea blinked, confused. "Well, you stole his limo… and well… you know… that's pretty much it. But don't worry, I'll talk to him." Rin assured, but did not expect Thea's affronted reaction. "Ooooh, no, noooo. I did _not_ steal it! I borrowed it for camping! 'Cause.. 'Twas a matter of life and death… 'cause we had no seconds…. you took waaaay too loooong cooking. A-and we needed food! It's all your fault!" Bon almost choked on his burger and while Rin was breaking his head about how to answer that insane accusation, Thea wrestled with Mephisto's hat which kept sliding from her head. "Boy, I wish I had the cloak tooooo. It just doesn't have the same flashy effect. I-I've got twooo of them and I just had to leave them boooth at home… oooh, verflucht!" "What on Earth is she talking about… God, Mephisto's going to kill me, I just know it…" the half-demon started banging his head on the table in frustration. "Are you sure you are going to be fine taking her home on your own?" Bon raised an eyebrow at Rin. "Yeah, yeah. Just finish your burger and go home." Rin waved him off, then suddenly, Thea was at his side, patting him at the back. "Relaaax, Mephisto's not gonna be angry - he also got a cake. Nooobody with a cake can get angry… that is, if the cake is good… and mine waaaasn't... you guys s-said so… Mephisto, you liaaaar!" Thea started sobbing, then ran off to the restroom. "Yeah, I am a dead man…" Rin nodded to himself, biting in what he expected to be his last meal on Earth.

OoO

"Thea! How… W-What happened?" Ayami managed to shout in a whisper, as Thea appeared in the door, leaning on some strange teenage boy. "Ayamiiii! Ooooh, I missed you sooo much! Yukio might be my singing buddy, but don't worry… don't worry… you are aaaalways gonna be my dancing buddyyyy!" Thea hugged her surprised friend tightly, squeezing the breath out of her. "Thea… don't tell me… are you drunk?!" Ayami's eyes almost popped out. "Naaah, I'm dis… desi… disinfected! Doctor teacher prescribed it so." the blonde grinned while Rin just facepalmed himself. "I am sorry - Ayami, right?" Rin asked carefully, hoping that this time, Thea had not made fun of him and knocked on the correct door - they had already woken up two other, completely confused students, thank you very much. "Ah, yes, I'm Ayami. And you?" "I'm Rin, from the Tr… ah, I mean, from Thea's study group." he scratched his head nervously, remembering Thea's cover-story. "We went camping tonight and well, it ehm… turned out a little wilder than we expected. But she's fine, I promise! No harm done… well, apart from that knee, but that's nothing serious, really. I am very sorry to wake you, but…" he kept rambling, trying to smooth out the awkward situation.

Surprisingly, the raven-haired girl started to laugh while the half-demon just stood in the door, stupefied - was it just him or were all university students kinda… nuts? "Oh God, I can't believe it! You actually managed to get her drunk! I always called her to our parties, if only to see her drunk, but she was always sooo controlled and… I hope you took some photos! Please say you took some!" Ayami chirped, looking at Rin in expectation. "Oh, sure…" "Aaaaa, you have to share some, pretty please, pretty please! I am in a desperate need of some incriminating footage of her. You see, she always makes fun of me for coming back from parties looking like this and that… Now it is _my_ turn to have the high ground! Morally speaking…" she started laughing all over, and Thea joined her for some reason, hugging her even more. Rin grinned widely and pulled out his cell phone. "I like the way you think, Ayami. OK, let me see, I can spare a few minutes..."

OoO

"Ayamiii, let's go danciiing! You promised! Y-you said we would go danciiiing…" Thea pleaded while Ayami tried to get her to her room. "Of course, we are gonna dancing, stupid. I just need to change to something nice and sexy. Now, why don't you wait here. Come, lie down here and hold onto Mr. Wooly for me for a while, OK?" Ayami said as she gave Thea the big plush sheep she always slept with. "Aaaah… OK, OK, I will do just that…" Thea nodded slowly, then lay down while Ayami ran off to the kitchenette swiftly, hoping to bring the bowl in time before Thea could… "Ayamiii? Ayami… The room's shaking… Oh, oooh my, I… I think I'm dying… I..." before she could finish the sentence, her roommate was at her side, pulling her hair out of the way of Thea's dinner. "It's fine, Thea, it's OK." she patted her at the back gently, in a thorough understanding of the blonde's current state. Maybe she understood it way too well… "Geez, no wonder she's always so upset with me when I get back from the club… If I look half the wreck she is now… You really are such a silly, little… absolutely great friend…" Ayami shook her head and braced herself for a busy day, actually cherishing that the roles were reversed for once. After all, it was about four in the morning already. She would let Thea sleep, for now, but then… _"Well, let's just say that it's been a pleasure meeting Rin with that remarkable photo library of his…"_ she thought mischievously.

OoO

The Lord of Time was getting a tad nervous - the young Okumura was supposed to report on the situation at the camping site two hours ago. He always sent regular messages, so why not now? The demon paced nervously, trying to keep his calm. He would _not_ barge in to interrupt his students' party, even though having seen the photos full of the merry atmosphere, he kinda wanted to. Besides, he trusted the teacher's judgement. Maybe there was simply not a good enough opportunity to send the report in secrecy. And so, he went to check on the investigation group - now that should make the waiting more bearable…

When Mephisto returned back to his office, he finally found… a missed call? And a voice message? The demon played it eagerly, but instead of Yukio's formal voice, he could hear Thea's strangely trembling one, as she was speaking in angry German. "Youuu big liar! Whyyyyy…. Why did you s-say you liked my cake?! I know the truth… it was in… inedi… oh man… it was baaaad… As was the rest of my food. We had to… had to throw it all awayyyy." the blonde sniffled and Mephisto's eyes widened, then a wide grin appeared on his face - yes, she sounded positively drunk. "Is that why you… why you did not wanna kiss me again? 'Cause I… I burnt both you and the… the cake? I knew it... I… I am such a failure…" Thea kept sulking and Mephisto couldn't help but feel a little guilty. _"Oh my, only your head can come up with such a silly conclusion… Of course I did not kiss you, you little fool… I was barely able to keep myself in control… "_ the demon shook his head, listening on. "A-and here I thought… you promised! You promised the other day, t-that you will answer aaaall of my qeust-questions. Thoroughly! A-and you… kissed me on my hand and then… nothing? You… you demon! You… " Mephisto leaned on one of the huge windows of his office, blushing profoundly, another set of quite new emotions stirring inside of him. "That silly girl…"

"Thea! Thea, please come out, we have to go…" the headmaster could hear Rin's voice from the background. "N-no, I'm … I'm still not done sssspeaking to that head-idiot-master-demon! He didn't even … take me to a proper date, yet he k-keeps stealing kisses! That's not faaair… that's not how it should be done!" Mephisto covered his face with one hand, then banged his forehead on the window. His emotions were a mixture of amusement, silliness and perhaps a grain of… embarrassment? _"Just why can't I do anything right with this girl? Some gentleman I am..."_ he scolded himself inwardly for such an oversight. "What? You are calling with Mephisto?! Nooo, Thea, hang up right now or he's gonna kill me!" "Sssssh… it's fiiiiine… he's not killing anybodyyy. I told you I just borrowed his limo… I s-swear… so we can, we can see the king in the town... " the blonde giggled and Mephisto's eyes widened in a sudden rush of adrenaline - they were not at the campsite and Yukio did not report it. "Thea, no! Get back here!" Rin exclaimed and then, after a series of muffled sounds, the voice message was interrupted.

"Not killing anybody, huh? Oh dear, there are several individuals on my list I would like to get my hands on right now…" Mephisto clasped his phone and appeared at Shura's cottage in a flash of white. His breath got caught in his throat as he spotted the mess, not to mention the marks of car-wheels on the ground. And… was that Thea's _blood_ he could smell on the ground? _"No, no jumping to conclusions. Not when it concerns her."_ the demon remained himself and exhaled, trying to push all the dangerous scenarios out of his head. _"She is fine, she has just left me a message, after all."_ His self-imposed calmness resolved like a mist when he realized that the weekend house was completely empty and a bag full of guns was left behind… Another set of completely new emotions flooded the demon's mind, and this time, he did not like them at all.

OoO

"Oh God… so bright… hnnnn... Riiin, Rin the curtains… " Yukio kicked his brother lamely while covering his face with one hand, trying to avoid the sudden brightness. "Well, good morning, Mr. Okumura." a cold, grating voice came from outside, making Yukio's skin crawl so much it actually woke him from his slumber. Rin had returned back to the limo to keep an eye on both his brother and the ridiculous car, just as Mephisto started waking up Yukio. "I hope you have slept well?" the cold, grating voice inquired further. "Huh? What… oh my head! Listen bro… leaaaave me sleep, got it? I'm kind of… oh, oh God, Sir Pheles!" the young teacher jumped up, only to hit his head on the roof of… a car? "What… what the hell is going on?" he scratched the bump on his head. "I… I mean…" "That is precisely what _I_ would like to know, Mr. Okumura. And think well before you answer, for I am already deeply disappointed with your actions tonight." _"More like furious…"_ Yukio gulped at that sight - never in his life had he seen the headmaster with such a terrible, doom-promising look on his face. "Well? Is there any reason you left your gear behind, smell of alcohol and why Mr. Miwa and Miss Heilbrunn remained unprotected tonight?"

"Please wait, Mephisto! It's not Yukio's fault!" Rin jumped in, trying to save the situation. "He's been acting crazy long before that!" Yukio tried to focus his eyes on his brother, then remarked dryly. "Why, thank you, Rin! That sure helped…" "Hey, stop scolding me, I'm trying to save your ass, here, you moron!" "Well, way to go, then!" "Enough. Report, Mr. Okumura." Mephisto ordered, interrupting the foolish squabble. "I… I am… Sir Pheles…" Yukio bowed, trying to squeeze some reasonable words out of the confused gray mass representing his brain at the moment. "I went to the campsite, a-and… I do not know what happened after that, sir." the young teacher gulped. "Oh, truly? Then let me shed some light on tonight's events for you." the demon fixed him with a piercing gaze, then pulled out his cell phone, listing through pictures and showing them to the increasingly red-faced Yukio. There was he - being lifted by Thea as in some crazy dancing. In another one, he was apparently chasing a squirrel, trying to follow it to the treetops. In the next picture, he could see himself waving out of the roof-window of the principal's limousine with his tie fastened around his head and shirt tied around his neck in an imitation of a cloak, which was trailing behind him. In yet another picture, he was carrying Thea bride-style while she was dressed all in white - headmaster's white, that is… The demon seemed to rain thunderbolts at him for that particular one. Mephisto himself was very well aware of that - after all, the pictures of Thea in that attire filled a separate folder in his cell phone memory; and the fact that the young teacher was able to see it live was simply _grating_ on him.

Yukio just gulped, and he could feel the beads of sweat running down his temples as the memories were slowly returning. "I… I am so terribly sorry, I… can't remember much, I only ate a little… maybe it's food poisoning." "Food poisoning?" Mephisto lifted his eyebrow, obviously unconvinced. "Thea was supposed to bring home-made curry a-and some cakes… oh, I _knew_ I shouldn't have eaten that stuff." he clutched his ringing head. "How does Miss Heilbrunn's cooking have anything to do with your current state?' the demon pierced him with an almost affronted gaze, while Rin started explaining in his brother's sake. "I am not sure if it was her cooking, but he's telling the truth Mephisto. Thea brought curry that was completely inedible, it made Konekomaru puke all over the place! She was really sad about it, so Yukio tried one of the cookies she made. It did not make _him_ puke, but no one else was stupid enough to try it… only the two of them. And they went all crazy soon afterwards. Blasted matcha-muffins! I knew there was something wrong with that green color… must have been spoilt or something. I'm telling you, Thea is too dangerous to be let into the kitchen!" Rin kept on explaining while his brother sulked and bowed in utmost shame.

 _"_ _Now, wait a moment… greenish muffins? Those were not from Thea, I was the one who gave them to her… But they were not spoilt, Djoeke would not give me anything of poor quality. Oh… Djoeke… my acquaintance from… from the Netherlands…"_ Mephisto swiftly stopped the time, then put down his hat and ran his fingers through his hair as his mind was racing _" 'These are Holland's best - you will just_ love _them! They taste the best when you share… You know, it's more fun that way, if you know what I mean.' - That's what Djoeke said… Oh, verdammt! I was too busy to pay attention to the remark about the nature of said muffins… "_ Soon, the palm of his hand found his forehead with a loud smack. "I am such a Vollidiot! Rendering useless my own bodyguard…" he shook his head, feeling the night's tension finally leaving him. He had been searching for his students during the early morning hours to make sure every one of them was safe and sound. He had been prepared to rain thunderbolts on the teacher for his incompetence, only to learn that _he_ was the one who had unknowingly caused all this commotion. The Lord of Time chuckled, then started laughing. "Dear Lord, I only wanted to give her something in exchange for the delicious cake she gave me - as a proper demon should. I… wanted her to have something sweet and enjoy the night… Well, she probably did… Just why is it that every time _she_ is involved, the events take such an unexpected direction? Ah, I'd better fix this, before things get any worse... " the demon concluded, then let the time flow again.

"Very well, Mr. Okumura." Mephisto folded his hands and smiled. Pleasantly! "Huh?!" both Okumura brothers regarded him in disbelief, completely dumb founded. "Here is a little something for that nasty headache of yours…" the demon snapped his fingers and produced a bar of Aspirin pills and a bottle of mineral water, then handed them over to Yukio. "Now, why don't you take a day off to get yourself together, hmm? You know what? Make it three days. My chauffeur will be here in a moment and take you back to the True Cross Academy. Until next time~" he winked and after his trademark ein~zwei~drei, the demon disappeared into the thin air. "What… what the hell was that about?!" Rin exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "I don't know anymore… I… bleawch!" Yukio bent over, unable to keep the dinner in his stomach. "Not in the car, you idiot!"

OoO

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 **Disclaimer:** Blue Exorcists belongs to Kazue Katō. Please, do not re-post or publish my story without my consent.

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 **Author's note:** The last chapter of my holiday present is here :) This one was absolutely hilarious and fun to write, and I really hope you enjoyed the reading at least as much as I did the writing :D. I must admit that I probably have a very peculiar inclination to put Mephisto to situations where, despite all his careful planning, the events just take an unexpected turn 3:D.

Also, I would like to thank my dear husband, a.k.a the most awesome beta-reader, who is just so supportive and patient with me and my unusual hobby :) <3

P.S. I am looking forward to your thoughts and impressions ^^


	15. What to do with thesis and kisses due?

"Samael." Gin bowed his head in greeting after he had appeared in the principal's office to report on his investigation in Gehenna. "My search has finally brought…" the demon trailed off as he spotted his master standing in front of the tall windows, which he was using as a mirror to adjust his tie and jacket. "Well?" the headmaster turned his head slightly towards his secretary and arched an eyebrow. "I am all ears, Gin." The secretary's eyes almost popped out, but he willed his brain to finally formulate the burning question. "Sir, is that a _smile_ on your face?" "I smile quite often, in case you haven't noticed." the demon continued unconcerned, running his fingers through his hair, putting them to place. "Oh, I have noticed. I just did not think it could get any scarier…" Gin shook his head in disbelief, then chuckled. Finally, his master turned towards him and approached. "Your report, Gin. Or you will get the opportunity to see just how scary it can get." he reminded the secretary with a pointed look.

"Now, that is an opportunity I am willing to pass." the secretary remarked in an amused voice. "I was merely… Samael! Your attire, the cologne… Satan's Flames! You have a _date_!" an exclamation escaped his lips as he finally recognized that strangely familiar scent that lingered in the office. And this time, he knew he was not just imagining that blush on the headmaster's cheeks. The principal exhaled audibly and folded his arms across his chest, the familiar annoyed expression replacing the unsettling fond one. Before his master could share any details, though, Gin put his hand to his chin, rubbing it in thought, then smirked. "Ah, now it all comes together… must be _that_ _girl._ Pardon my bluntness, Sire, but I would have never guessed that _you_ of all people would break your own Academy rules. For a principal to date his young student, a freshman at that… you sure surprise me, Samael." the secretary grinned suggestively. His mind was set - he would thoroughly enjoy this scarce opportunity to interrogate his master and hopefully even make him sweat a little.

"She is a 25-years old _college_ student. One would assume that, as my best spy, you would have noticed that little detail by now." The demon lord emphasized with a smug smirk, but Gin's grin just grew wider. True, Thea was an adult, but she was still a student of the True Cross Academy, which was enough to make his master's actions controversial enough to be questioned by some individuals. Still, that would not prevent Gin from enjoying himself a little more on Samael's expense. "But of course, she is a medicine student." Samael nodded in confirmation and Gin continued. "Quite capable at that - at the top of her school year." another nod from his master followed. "Playing at a doctor with you..." he arched his eyebrows meaningfully and nearly burst into laughter as he saw his master almost nod again - he stopped somewhere in the middle of the gesture and pinned Gin with another irritated glare. "Keep sprouting further suggestive nonsense on that topic and you will need her _very real_ doctor skills." Unfortunately, the threat seemed to have no effect whatsoever on his prying friend.

"Oh, come now, Samael. Surely you would not begrudge your life-long servant and - I hope I do not flatter myself - friend, a little more information on such an interesting topic?" Gin put his hand on the headmaster's shoulder. "I mean, you have just progressed from stalking to dating. What does the poor lady owe the sudden change to?" he clapped him enthusiastically. "Listen Gin - and I am going to put it in your 'spy' jargon to make sure you understand. The only 'progress' here is the one from observation to direct investigation." his master said with that self-important demeanor of his. "Well, to put it in 'spy' jargon, your actions have already become too direct to be called an 'investigation'. Try infiltration." Gin winked mischievously, while he could almost feel the daggers Samael was raining at him with that intense stare hidden behind the nonchalant mask. "Nevertheless, I have an investigation to run. There is something I need to verify." "Might that be a hypothesis regarding her bra size?" the secretary joked further.

"She captured me." Samael said after a short pause and the secretary's lips curled up again. "No need to state the obvious." "In a _binding circle_ , Gin." his master cut in dryly before Gin could remark anything else. "So? It is not the first time you have been put under a restrictive spell. And it is not like you couldn't have broken it with a snap of your fingers, either." A sour grimace appeared on Samael's face and at that moment, Gin's eyes widened in astonishment. "You _could_ break it, right?" "Most probably, but with a considerable effort on my part. Maybe a few hours of work…" his master admitted earnestly, and Gin's mind started racing. "But… that should be impossible. I _have_ done my job, Samael - her power level is slightly above average at best." "Calm down, I have no doubts about the thoroughness of your work, Gin." his master assured him, then continued, walking around the room with hands clasped behind his back.

"However, that is not all, I am afraid." he continued lamentably. "It would seem that her aura alone was strong enough to inflict significant burns on my body… Burns, which I was unable to heal instantly. In fact, she had to take care of that." "Hold on, I will skip the part where she somehow managed to injure you. But she _healed_ you as well? Don't tell me… that you two have a contract?!" Gin exclaimed in disbelief - Samael loved to make deals and wagers, but binding himself in a contract? Impossible, he no longer benefited from such measures. The Lord of Time shook his head. "Tsk… Don't be absurd. No. No contract, no rituals and no familiars involved - that goes both for her healing and for the binding circle." "Satan's flames…" Gin breathed out, fairly impressed. "Indeed. Now, the real puzzle is the inconsistency of her powers." the headmaster tapped a finger on his lips in thought. "Care to elaborate?" the secretary inclined his head, his attention completely captured.

"The first time she healed me, it took her about fifteen minutes to dispose of just my tiredness and replenish a small portion of my energy. Two nights ago, she healed the serious burns I was unable to heal in a matter of a minute or two. Not to mention that she trapped me in that circle of hers without even breaking a sweat." Samael exhaled, his brows furrowing in thought. "I see what you mean. So, the time at the hospital…" "Yes. I assumed that my younger half-brother was the one who dealt most of the damage to the Riders while Thea just happened to finish them off. Now... well, things have just gotten a lot more interesting…" The Lord of Time grinned almost predatory. Gin just chuckled. "You sure picked yourself a charming little thing, Samael. No wonder she managed to keep your attention until now. However, have you considered the fact that she might be _well aware_ of her 'inconsistently strong' power?" He shot his master a meaningful glance, but Samael shook his head almost instantly. "Nobody is such a good actor, Gin. No, she is no spy."

"Might I remind you of the 'Antwerp incident', master?" the secretary remarked mockingly, as he remembered the night he had to escort his poisoned, dazed master to safety after his 'romantic evening' with the 'definitely-not-a-spy' lady. Well, technically, his master was right - she was no spy, merely a sly demon-hunter on her holy quest to purge all demons from Assiah. And she sure had done her research and had hit just the right spot with that special chocolate box. Looking back, she would have made a splendid companion - shame the hunter had chosen the wrong side, thus meeting her doom by Gin's very own hands.

"How very _kind_ of you to bring that up… Honestly, I cannot even _look_ at rum pralines since then…" Samael cracked a smile, then shivered slightly. "Nevertheless, this is a completely different situation. _She_ is different." "Oh, my apologies. Perhaps this time, you will get some poisoned home-made cookies instead." Gin remarked sarcastically and for some reason, the Lord of Time cleared his throat at that notion, completely failing at covering the slight blush. "That reminds me…" the secretary continued in a smug voice "What is with that muffin-ploy you had pulled on the poor girl?" Samael's eyes widened at that remark and Gin continued with that annoying grin of his. "Why so surprised? You said it yourself, I am your best spy - it is only natural that I caught up with all the events in Assiah upon my return…" "The muffins were an accident, Gin." the headmaster grimaced, still completely irritated by the fact that it had been his oversight that had caused last night's unfortunate series of events.

"Ah, of course, an 'accident'. So, you also just 'happened' to lend her your limousine?" The headmaster massaged the bridge of his nose and exhaled. "No, I did not _lend_ her my limousine. She… kind of… borrowed it. My chauffeur is still trying to figure out how she got the keys from him." Samael smirked, shaking his head and this time, Gin could not hold the laughter anymore. "Oh, by my Demon's Heart! I see… I thought that something did not quite add up. So, it seems that the charming blonde lady has already stolen _two_ things from you, dear master." The Lord of Time looked at the chuckling secretary with a confusion written all over his face. " _Two_ things?" "But of course. She stole your car… and your heart!" Gin said dramatically, while his hand formed into a fist and he clutched it to his chest. The look Samael gave him was simply priceless and Gin was already well aware of the punishment-assignment that was forming in his master's head that very moment. He didn't care. It was all well worth it.

The demon lord leaned on his huge wooden desk, folded his arms and lifted his chin. "All right, enough of this foolishness, Gin. I have places to be. What news do you have for me?" "Oh, very well… I would not want to keep you from your 'investigation', master." Gin threw his hands up as if giving up, using the 'master' title in his usual mocking way, then finally reported. "And, considering what has been said, you might just be pleased with the results of my investigation. I was able to locate Miss Heilbrunn's bag, or rather, what was left of it. A small miracle, really..." he fished something out of the pocket of his jacket, then outstretched his hand towards the headmaster. "Here. A little something your lady is probably missing. And you can now… _give it to her_." Gin said smugly, unable to keep his tongue from sprouting further suggestive nonsense. "You old pervert." Samael said, his lips twitching slightly as he fought the smirk, then he snatched the small, scorched item from his spy's hand, eying it curiously. " _Oh my. A sheep-shaped USB. No doubt as to who it belongs to… Just where does she get these things from, anyway?"_ the Lord of Time thought in amusement as he regarded the device, unknowingly offering Gin another chance to glance at that disturbingly fond smile. "I assume it is intact?" he eyed the secretary, who nodded. "Indeed. You were correct, there does not seem to be any information of value to our kin. However, it contains quite extensive research on what I understood as the regenerative abilities of a human body, and many other study notes which might be of value to Miss Heilbrunn."

The principal's eyes sparkled, and a victorious grin spread on his face. " _Just the excuse I needed to drop by… Perfect."_ "What about Abaddon's Apocalypse Riders and their search?" the demon inquired further on the mission. Gin's cheerful mood faded slightly, and he assumed his usual matter-of-factly demeanor. "On one hand, my search in that area is still not at its end, I am afraid. On the other hand, their search does not seem to progress, either. I prepared a list of locations in Abaddon's realm which have already been searched through. Maybe you would be able to puzzle out some connection between the specific territories or at least the general direction of the search. For now, the Riders are pushing onward with the investigation, so I assume that whatever it is they are after, they have not found it just yet." the secretary summarized briefly, then pulled a folder containing detailed territory maps out of his case and put them on the headmaster's desk. "There is one more thing that concerns me, though." Gin admitted and he could already see his master's curiosity spike. "Something has changed about their movement during the last week… ah, let me see… that would be almost two days in Assiah. Some searching units were pulled back and are concentrating here and here." he pointed at the marked circles. "The oddity comes from the fact that other demons are joining them as well whereas before, only the Raiders were involved in the whole movement. I am not sure about the reason behind this occurrence, but I would be very vigilant, Samael."

His master nodded thoughtfully, then spoke. "I see your point. Very well, Gin. You will continue this investigation in Gehenna and keep me posted about the progress." "Of course." the secretary bowed his head. "Additionally…" Samael snapped his fingers and a box with about fifteen folders appeared on his desk. "... I would appreciate your help with another investigation I have running. I gather that you are already well informed about the invasion from two days ago?" he arched an eyebrow questioningly and the secretary nodded. "Of course. And I gather that your investigation team still hasn't found the connection between the students?" The demon confirmed with a displeased expression on his face and put his hand on the box. "Then you know what you need to do. We are missing something important, Gin. I just know it. Another pair of eyes - spy's eyes - might be just the thing this investigation needs."

OoO

' _N-no, I'm … I'm still not done sssspeaking to that head-idiot-master-demon! He didn't even … take me to a proper date, yet he k-keeps stealing kisses! That's not faaair… that's not how it should be done!'_ The Lord of Time closed his eyes and exhaled - Thea's words still rang fresh in his memory. Oh, he was sure that she would probably not remember much from her alcohol-encouraged voicemail, but he… he spent the whole night thinking about them. About her. And as always, her words had a particularly strong and contrasting effect on him. On one hand, the demon found himself delighted, thrilled even that Thea truly seemed to be interested in him. Why on Earth would he be in such high spirits because of that idea, he could not phantom. He simply was. Maybe it had something to do with the reciprocity - the simple fact that she returned his interest in the most intriguing and irresistible way. On the other hand, his charming blonde lady had a point when she reminded him about his uncharacteristically ungentlemanly behavior. Being accused of stealing kisses gnawed on him more than he liked to admit to himself. " _Head-idiot-master-demon, hmm? After this night, you will take that back, you charming little brat."_ the demon grinned victoriously, flipping the little USB in his hand, as he pushed the entrance door of the university dormitories open. At least this one time, he would walk in like normal people do and not through the windows.

When Mephisto entered the elevator, he could see a young man rushing towards him, waving, so the demon held the door open for him. "Ah, thank you!" the man said a little out of breath. "You are welcome. Which floor?" "Fifth, please." Mephisto inclined his head politely but eyed the man suspiciously - the man looked too well-groomed in comparison to the other people who were rushing through the dormitories. In addition, he clutched a big pink heart shaped chocolate box in one hand and tickets to movies in the other. "What a coincidence." the demon said curiously and pushed the number five. "Ah, yes. So, a date, huh?" came a question once the elevator closed. "Indeed." the demon said carefully. "I see your girl likes sweets." the young man grinned, pointing at the little sack of confectionery Mephisto was holding in his hand together with a white rose. "Mine _loves_ them, even though she's too shy to admit it. And then, Thea practically lives off them…" a low chuckle filled the elevator as the man shook his head lamentably.

Had the young man had any sense of self-preservation, he would have felt the sudden change of atmosphere. He would have seen the cold, doom-promising stare behind the curious, forest-green eyes; the vicious, predatory grin behind the composed, nonchalant smile. And he would have run for his life. "Thea, you say? As the blonde from room no. 519?" Mephisto voiced a careful inquiry, just to make absolutely sure before taking any action. "That's right! So, you know her? Oh, wait a minute, are you…" the young man asked curiously, but could not finish the sentence, for the time had stopped. "No. _You_ wait." the demon's lips curled into a dangerous smile, revealing his sharp fangs, every fiber in his body strangely tense. " _It would appear that Thea has caught the interest of other individuals, as well. Now, that is… not entirely surprising…"_ he pondered while making a conscious effort to suppress the rising irritation. The demon just itched to grab the young man and leave him to cool his delusional, enamored head in the frozen Siberian tundra.

"Well, you have an exquisite taste, young man, I give you that much… Still, don't tell me that _you_ are her suitor." The demon lord tilted his head as he regarded the daring man with a most annoyed expression. "I mean, _strawberry-filled_ chocolate-hearts? Oh please, according to my intel, strawberry is probably the only filling in the world she dislikes." he snorted with an apparent distaste. "And what do we have here? My, my, movie tickets? A keen observer should know that she prefers a good book over a movie, not to mention a _thriller_." the demon shook his head mockingly. "Tsk, amateur. The hell shall freeze before I let the likes of you even try to court her." Mephisto nodded to himself, then grinned widely, patting the man frozen in time at the shoulder in an almost apologetic way. "You should be thankful, young man. You see, I am actually doing you a favor. Trust me, you would only embarrass yourself. Next time do your research. Auf Wiedersehen." the demon waved his hand dismissively at the man, then stepped out of the elevator confidently and knocked on Thea's door.

"Finally! Toshi… oh, Mephisto?" came Ayami's surprised voice as she opened the door. "Good evening, Ayami." the demon smiled friendly, then inquired cautiously. "I hope I am not intruding?" "Ah… uhm, actually… I think…. Never mind. Come in, come in." the raven-haired girl waved for the slightly confused visitor to step in. "I am just a little surprised, because I was expecting Toshiro. Oh seriously, that guy is late again…" she shook her head in apparent displeasure, completely oblivious to the demon's dumbstruck expression. Mephisto did not have a very good memory when it came to faces, but he could remember names almost instantly - and that name certainly did ring a bell, for Ayami never missed a chance to speak about this particular person. He cleared his throat carefully. "Do you mean Toshiro - your boyfriend?" "Yes, him. We are going to the movies tonight, but he promised to drop by and pick me up." Ayami confirmed and the demon closed his eyes as the realization dawned on him. " _Thea was right all along - I truly am head-idiot-master-demon."_ the demon muttered a silent curse, then pushed the gnawing grain of embarrassment away from his thoughts. "Ah, patience. I am sure he will be here soon. The time… flows differently when you are looking forward to something." the demon's lips curled into a smile as he uttered a short incantation, allowing the time in the elevator to flow naturally again.

Shortly after, a knock on the door sounded and Ayami rushed to open it. There stood Toshiro - the young man, who had been mercifully spared riding frozen in time in the dormitory elevator. "Hi babe. Sorry I'm late, but… I… he…" he trailed off and scratched his head in puzzlement as he spotted Mephisto standing behind his girlfriend. "It's OK, Toshiro. Now come in already." Ayami smiled brightly, then introduced both her guests properly. While the men shook their hands, came Thea's voice from the small kitchenette. A voice that sounded surprisingly… less musical than usual to Mephisto's sensitive ears. "Ayami? Is Toshiro here already? Do you guys also want a cocoa?" she called out from the kitchen, and the demon silenced the sudden urge to rush to her and find out the reason behind that sad, solemn undertone. Ayami turned towards the men. "Ah, I have to pass, cause I am watching my weight - but you guys _must not_ miss an opportunity to taste her cocoa! I mean it." she looked at them in all seriousness. "Well, then I'd love one, if it isn't too much trouble." Mephisto smiled at Ayami and Toshiro just shrugged. "I guess." "Two more, Thea." Ayami called back and led the guests to her room where they all seated themselves. Mephisto did not need his demonic senses to tell him that the atmosphere felt positively tense.

"So, how is she doing?" Toshiro leaned closer to Ayami, moderating his voice to a whisper. Ayami sighed and shifted nervously in her place. "Not good… Not good at all." "Is Thea that unwell after yesterday's camping?" Mephisto asked curiously - he did not expect that she would not be well by now. "Oh, I _wish_ it was the hangover… that reminds me, Toshiro, did you get the chocolate?" Ayami asked, leaving the demon in a state of a slight panic. " _Has anything happened to her? No, that should not be the case. Do not overthink this again!"_ Mephisto's mind was racing while the young man put the heart-shaped chocolate box on the small table in front of them. "Of course, I wouldn't forget something so important." Ayami raised an eyebrow at that and grinned. "Chocolate hearts?" "Well, it was the last one I was able to grab on such a short notice!" "I guess, but… nooo! Toshirooo, you bought the _strawberry_ collection." Ayami's palm met her forehead with a loud smack and Toshiro looked at her in puzzlement. "What?!" he whispered, completely confused. "Thea does not really favor that particular flavor. She loves strawberries, but strawberry filling, that is just pink chemical paste - or so she says. Hazelnuts. You can never go wrong with hazelnuts." Mephisto cut in smoothly, leaning on his entwined hands, earning himself a smug look of appreciation from Thea's roommate. "True that."

"Ayami, what is the matter with Thea?" the demon inquired, no longer able to hold back his curiosity, and, surprisingly, rising nervousness. "Oh, right…" she gulped nervously, flicked her eyes between them and the kitchenette, then continued in an even quieter voice. "You see… Thea's studies… she cannot finish them." The demon's eyes widened in surprise. "You know that someone stole her bag, right?" When Mephisto nodded at the story he knew as Thea's cover-up version, Ayami went on. "Well, she had all the important things inside - her wallet, IDs, her laptop, and unfortunately, the notes and her backup USB, too... The police still haven't found it and Thea was not able to rewrite two years worth of work in a week. I mean, _of course_ she was unable to write it, that's just impossible!" Ayami buried her head in her hands in frustration. " _How curious... Thea has never mentioned how important that rucksack, or rather, its contents were to her. Had I known, I could have sent Gin a lot sooner to search for it... Well, no matter, this can still be resolved."_ The demon nodded to himself, his mind already working on resolving this unpleasant issue. "Has she not raised a request for a deadline extension?" Mephisto inclined his head. "Of course she has. But… just a few hours ago, her request was denied." Ayami exhaled while Mephisto arched an eyebrow. "Denied? That is quite unexpected, given the circumstances. Has she…" "Yes, of course she has also tried to appeal against that decision." the raven-haired girl interrupted, her frustration rising.

"I'm sorry… It's just that… I'm so _angry_! You see, short after that, Thea received a call from professor Isao - he apologized profoundly, but he explained that although the decision not to grant her an exception was quite harsh, it was still 'well within the university rules and the board's competences'. And finally, he admitted that there was a certain 'pressure from other parties' to prevent Thea from receiving the exception. I mean, _what the hell_ , right?!" she threw up her hands in a silent outrage. The Lord of Time furrowed his brows in thought and his expression darkened. " _Other parties, is it? How very intriguing. Just who might be powerful enough to pull the strings to affect the board decision and simultaneously wish for Thea to fail her studies?"_ he stroked his beard in an intense thought, going through the list of potential suspects. "I don't get it… getting a deadline extension is not unheard of. True, students do not request it that often, but when they do, it always gets approved." Toshiro shook his head and took his girlfriend's hands into his, trying to comfort her. Unfortunately, the gesture did not seem to calm her down at all - she tended to be quite overprotective of her friend. "But that just doesn't make sense! She was on the top of the class! You do not want to lose someone…" Ayami stopped abruptly, as Thea entered the room with a tray of hot cocoa in her hands.

"Hi guys. The cocoa's… Si-, Mephisto?!" Thea gaped at the demon who was casually sitting on Ayami's couch, then tripped over the carpet. Fortunately, her unexpected visitor moved with his inhuman speed and slowed the time down just enough to catch the blonde and the falling tray. "Careful there. It would be a shame for that splendidly-smelling cocoa to go to waste." Mephisto said smoothly, holding Thea with the tray in place. "Nice reflexes!" Toshiro whistled in acknowledgement and Ayami agreed enthusiastically. Her mouth opening and closing, Thea couldn't muster a coherent sentence. "Ah… Thank you." she finally managed to squeeze out of herself. "Don't mention it, dear." Mephisto offered her a smile, while internally fighting a particularly displeased feeling. The smile on her face was but a ghost of her usually beaming face, and her blood-shot eyes hinted on recent crying. He did not like that resigned, defeated expression on her a bit, especially when he now also understood the reasons behind it. And despite his unwritten rule not to meddle in the affairs of mortals (too much), the demon was more than willing to make an exception. As much as he didn't like to admit it, this whole situation was partially his responsibility - had he paid more attention to Abaddon, the whole incident in the Tokyo university hospital could have been avoided in the first place. " _Well, good thing that I just happen to have the means to make everything right again. I shall look into the 'other parties' later…"_ he smiled triumphantly, a plan of actions already forming in his head.

Thea gulped nervously, looking into the forest-green eyes of the very person she both longed and feared to see at that moment. " _I_ knew _I felt his powers spike for a moment somewhere around here! Damn, I'm getting good at this! …Only… I'm not good at all… In fact, I'm a failure, a university drop-out… Not to mention last night!"_ Thea sulked, remembering the embarrassing photos Ayami had thrown into her face as soon as her headache had subsided a little. " _Oh no… Oh no, this cannot be happening! Not now! What in the world is he even doing here?! I'm not ready to face him yet…"_ Thea's heart started beating like a drum in a sudden rush of panic. After all, her studies were over. All those years, all her efforts, sleepless nights, everything - denied to her in one email and an apologetic phone call. Just because she had tried to save her friend by the only means she had had at hand at that time. Oh, she did not regret her decision, but that did not make it any easier for her to look at all her classmates and friends who would soon become doctors and start their internships while she… She was not even sure what kind of future was waiting for someone like her. Her dream was shattered, yet she was positive she could still play it cool at least in front of Ayami and Toshiro. But certainly not in front of _him_. " _Don't panic. Just do not panic. Wait a minute… Maybe I can still pull this off! He still doesn't know… It's cool. Stay cool."_

"It's nice to see you, Mephisto. Do you also want some cocoa or was this one for you?" she asked as jovially as she could, forcing her best smile. The demon winced at that terrible theatrical performance. " _Oh Gin, you couldn't be more wrong. Her? A spy? Please, she cannot even fake a smile."_ he lamented, half-assuring himself of Thea's intentions. "Ah, this one would be mine." he pointed at one of the mugs which was topped with creme, some marshmallows and chocolate-sprinkles - it looked just as heavenly as her cake had. "But let me add a little something first before we 'sweeten our day', all right?" Mephisto winked mischievously, then took the tray from Thea's hands and put it on the table. "What do you mean?" the blonde inclined her head in confusion. "I understand that the deadline for the submission of your thesis is closing in, correct?" he glanced at Ayami and Toshiro, catching them in the middle of furious gesturing at his person, apparently trying to make him stop from venturing any further in that topic.

Thea's gasp was the only sound in the room. "Ayami?! Y-you… You told him?!" she cried out, shooting a desperate, accusative glance towards her friend. "But… Why would you… I…" clenching her fists, the blonde fought the rush of fresh tears, trying to keep them from falling. She would _not_ embarrass herself any further. Ayami clasped her hands in apology "Sorryyy… I really didn't mean to, it's just… he looked so worried!" she pointed at Mephisto. " _Worried?!"_ the demon arched an eyebrow. " _Now, that is just preposterous."_ he thought, then met his eyes with Thea's, noticing the slight blush that appeared on her face. She exhaled audibly and the determined look was back on her face once again - just how he liked it. "I am sorry, too. Look everyone, I appreciate the concern, I really do. There are... worse things than this... At least everyone's alive and healthy and… and I'll deal with it. I'll think of something... I just need some time to process all of this and start somewhere…" " _Concern…"_ the demon mused again, regarding the blonde with a surprised expression. " _That might just be… a fitting emotion, I suppose. Just how can she always tell my mood so easily? Not to mention the swiftness and the way she copes with such a difficult life situation. Always an optimist, I see. Splendid."_

The Lord of Time stepped closer and took Thea's hands into his - he would make sure that there was one less difficult situation for Thea to deal with. "Then I suggest you start with this." his lips curled up as he revealed the little, slightly scorched USB-sheep. The blonde's eyes almost popped out at the sight and her breath caught in her throat. "Mephisto… t-that's… is that really…?" she met his eyes and he nodded encouragingly. "What is it?" Ayami and Toshiro appeared right next to them, trying to take a look. "Huh? A little sheep-badge?" came Toshiro's puzzled question and Ayami shook her head. "No, that's her USB-stick!" "It would appear that the USB-stick was not in your bag at the time it was stolen from you. The school-staff has found it in the library, in one of the study rooms. I believe you meet there with your study-group at the weekends." Mephisto's eyes played as he added a little something to their cover-up story. "Thea! That's fantastic!" Ayami called out, hugging her tightly, then switched to squeezing her boyfriend for a change. Cheers filled the small room, only to be interrupted by Thea's harsh tone. " _Everybody shut it_! Do. Not. Even. Breathe!" she finished in a whisper, then ran off to her room, leaving the trio in a state of absolute stupor.

Mephisto was the first one to recover from it - he chuckled and followed his charming lady to her room, where she was already furiously typing at the borrowed laptop, searching through the contents of the USB-stick. "Mephisto…" "Yes?" "It's really here… All of it…" Thea breathed heavily, unable to believe it. "Yes, it would appear so." he nodded with a smirk of amusement on his lips. "And… you can see it too, right?" she gulped, and the demon put his hands on her shoulders reassuringly. "As clear as day, dear." The blonde gulped, her heart beating like a hummingbird from all that excitement. And soon, the demon's heart matched its pace, as he found himself with Thea standing on her tiptoes and wrapped around his neck in a tight embrace. "Thank you so much, Mephisto! …So, it's true! You demons really _can_ make one's deepest desires come true." she giggled, her face still buried in Mephisto's neck. The demon grinned widely and brushed away the girl's golden locks, whispering in her ear secretively. "Oh dear, you have _no_ idea. But, this is neither the right time, nor the proper place to fulfill them." The blonde's startled, beetroot-red face made him chuckle again - she was obviously trying to come up with some smart answer, but failed miserably, so she just chuckled with tears in her eyes. "You'd better hurry up and upload the thesis while there is still some time left." he released the hug and winked, mischief playing in his eyes.

Thea nodded and swiftly turned towards the laptop, hypnotizing it to work faster by the sheer look of utmost determination. Soon after that, Ayami and Toshiro finally appeared in her room to check on the progress. "OK… all right… It could still use some polishing, but all in all..." "Oh, to hell with that! _No one_ cares. Just upload the thing already!" Ayami stepped in, rolling her eyes at her friend's perfectionism. "No!" Thea cried out a little louder than she intended, startling everyone once again. "I mean… Not to hell… Not again." she giggled and Mephisto's sonorous laugh joined hers, as they shared the internal joke. " _Well, I always thought that Thea is a little weird, but they obviously share the same sense of humor. Thank Goodness for that!"_ Ayami thought with relief, completely thrilled with how her 'shipping' efforts turned out. Oh, they were not there just yet, but as unlikely as the relationship between those two seemed to be, she had a good eye for chemistry. Why on Earth would they still keep such a distance from each-other was a true mystery to her.

"It's done." Thea breathed out once she had double-checked that all the contents were properly uploaded. "Time to sweeten our day!" she said cheerfully and rushed off for the cocoa." " _Pfff… someone has her priorities straight. And just like that, she moves on…"_ Mephisto smirked. "Oh, that reminds me…" Toshiro handed the strawberry chocolate box to Thea. "Thank you very much for your help with my thesis - I submitted it just yesterday. The German research papers you translated for me were a big help for my research." he finished with a bow. "You are welcome, Toshiro!" Thea beamed at him and started opening it, successfully camouflaging the slight wince at the strawberry flavor. "Please, have some. I'll fetch crisps and I might just have some gummy bears stored on the shelf. I'll…" "Thea, wait." Ayami stepped in. "We are going to the movies. Date night, remember?" "Oooh, right! Sure… Sorry for keeping you." the blonde smiled nervously.

"Now, that reminds _me_ …" Mephisto cut in smoothly, bringing up a small sack of hazelnut bonbons and a rose as white as snow. "Thea, I know that your day has already been quite eventful. Still, would you care for dinner?" " _Oh my God, it's happening!"_ Ayami screamed inwardly, unknowingly crushing Toshiro's hand in the process. Thea took the rose carefully, her eyes wide open. "Mephisto… it's beautiful." she smiled fondly from behind the rose as she was smelling it. "Quite unexpected, but sure! I'll gladly join you for dinner. Just give me a sec, I need to get ready." she said, noticing that she was wearing her pajamas bottom, two different socks and a very old, two sizes too big sweatshirt." "Whoa, whoa, girl! Hold your horses, you are coming with _me_ first!" Ayami interrupted, grabbing her surprised roommate at the arm and pushing her to her room. "Please, excuse us for a moment. Oh, and do not forget the cocoa!" she smiled, leaving the confused men behind. One of them was no mere mortal, though, and so he used his enhanced demon hearing to eavesdrop a little - just to make sure there was no further trouble Thea might be facing. He was certainly skilled enough to do so while also having a small talk over a cup of cocoa with Toshiro. Or so he thought. " _Dear Lord… Thea's cocoa is just… out of this world! She made it with real cocoa, too! And the heavenly combination of chocolate, cream and marshmallows…"_ The demon was practically melting, his eavesdropping activity completely forgotten, as the cocoa demanded his full attention.

"W-wait… Ayami! What is going on? I thought you were in a hurry, so let me just grab my things and…" Thea protested. "Yeah, that's the problem. Seriously girl, don't tell me you were planning to go like this." Ayami fixed her friend with a displeased look, unable to process how Thea could be ignorant enough to put on dark jeans and a simple white tank top T-shirt for such an occasion. "Uhm… yeah?" " _Like hell_ you are wearing those plain jeans to your first date! That's a tailored cotton-cashmere Armani suit he's wearing in case you haven't noticed!" Ayami scolded her oblivious friend. "A what?" "Sheesh… OK, let me think…" her eyes shone brightly as she entered her fashion-mode. After a few minutes of protests, Thea ended up in Ayami's dark-blue dress, and Ayami also fished herself something more elegant out of the huge, seemingly bottomless closet. "Ayamiii… this is ridiculous! I can't possibly go out like this." the blonde gulped nervously, looking herself up and down. "Why not?" "Well, first of all, I do not wear dresses. It's weird. And second, it's just too short. I mean, I might be slim enough to fit into your clothes, but I am still about twenty centimetres taller than you. This is embarrassing…." Thea mumbled. "Oh please, what are you, a teenager? So it is a little revealing. It still looks decent on you, just slightly provocative - exactly the thing you need." Ayami grinned widely and put a necklace on Thea's neck. "And here is a little something to go with that dress. The earrings, too. It's a set." "Fine… just put my grandma's earrings into the box on my nightstand. I would hate to lose those." Thea finally agreed to the outfit.

"God, I am so nervous…" the blonde gulped and started walking around the small room anxiously. "It will be fine, trust me." Ayami tried to reassure her friend. "I… I don't know. It's just that… this is my first date after a year or so…" "Exactly!" the raven-haired roommate took hold of Thea's shoulders. "That is why it's gonna be just fine. You have already been through this. This is _not_ your first date. _He_ is not your first. Got it?" The blonde's mind was racing, almost catching up to the pace of her heart. " _Well, maybe Ayami has a point. I already have some experience, so this should not bother me so much. Only… it does! Because he_ is _my first. My first_ demon _, that is. God, it sounds crazy even when I just think about it! Why would he even want to date me? Is it some kind of a ploy? Does he mean it? He_ did _kiss me… But then again… Aaaargh, I cannot tell anymooore!"_ her panic spiked. "Thea, calm down. He's obviously interested in you. I can tell." Ayami held the blonde's gaze until she nodded. "Perfect. Now get your butt out there, cause I really want to make it to that movie." she ushered the girl out of her room. The Lord of Time almost choked on his delicious cocoa as something even more attention-demanding emerged. The blonde stood in the door looking at him just a little shyly, the navy-blue dress emphasizing her beautiful hour-glass figure, revealing just enough skin to provoke, yet still remain decent. " _Satan's mercy be upon me…"_ he gulped, pulling slightly at his tie. " _Verdammt, I am trying to be a gentleman tonight, you know? You oblivious, foolish… charming little daredevil."_

OoO

"Mein schönes Fräulein, darf ichs wagen meinen Arm und Geleit Euch anzutragen?" Mephisto's lips curled up as he offered Thea his hand for escort once they left the dorms. He was half-expecting her to refuse it with the following passage of Faust, and also because she always acted so independently, so he was surprised when she accepted it with a smug smirk. "What? Did you honestly think I would refuse?" she asked and the demon started seriously considering that her peculiar abilities also included mind-reading. "Well, not tonight. You can thank Ayami for making me wear a dress and high-heels…" the blonde grimaced a little uncomfortably. "Not a fan?" the demon chuckled at her boldness, fully enjoying the closeness and silently thanking Ayami for her splendid fashion-taste. "Not really… But I guess that nothing says that you have reached the top of the food chain more than willingly putting on clothes and shoes which completely immobilize you in the need of running or fighting… I'm telling you, people completely ignore the most basic… ah, sorry, I got a little carried away... " the blonde blushed furiously at the terribly unromantic topic she has just ventured into. "Pfff…" low chuckles sounded from her left side. "No worries, dear. After all, you are not a mere human and I… well, let's just say that I am positively more dangerous than anything we might encounter tonight." he winked mischievously, earning himself the girl's beautiful, melodious laugh.

"Have I mentioned that you look heavenly beautiful tonight, dear?" Mephisto inclined his head, getting a beautiful blush from Thea. "Why, thank you. You too look… hellishly handsome." she giggled at the little word play. "Uhm… Sir, I mean Mephisto…?" Thea looked at him questioningly. "I believe that the first-name basis would be only appropriate for our date night, wouldn't you say?" Mephisto said encouragingly. "Agreed. Wait… so this really is a date? I mean… a date-date? No other purpose to this, just… a date? And if so, why? I mean, out of blue like this…? she questioned, throwing the demon off balance again. " _What kind of question is that? Honestly now, what does it look like this is?"_ he pondered, his eye twitching nervously. "But of course, dear." Thea blushed - just how was she supposed to explain to him how strange and unbelievable this whole situation was? Spending the evening with a man she was interested in would be exciting enough, but when she added the 'headmaster slash powerful demon lord'-part to it, the word 'exciting' could not possibly cover it. "After all, _you_ were the one who asked for it - as charmingly as insistently." the demon interrupted her musings with a broad grin. "What? I…" she started, completely flustered, only to be interrupted by… her own voice coming from the demon's phone? Mephisto's eyes were practically beaming with amusement as he played Thea's voice mail to her. ' _Youuu big liar! Whyyyyy…. Why did you s-say you liked my cake?! I know the truth… it was in… inedi… oh man… it was baaaad… As was the rest of my food. We had to… had to throw it all awayyyy… Is that why you… why you did not wanna kiss me again? 'Cause I… I burnt both you and the… the cake? I knew it... I… I am such a failure…'_ He could see Thea's eyes widen in terror and face burn with heat of embarrassment. She truly couldn't mask even the basic emotions - and he liked her just that way.

"Oh God… Mephisto, I… yesterday was… oh man…" the blonde stuttered, burying her head into her hands. She was sure that had Mephisto been a mere mortal, he would have run away from her crazy, unlady-like persona instead of asking her out. The Lord of Time was sure that had he been a mortal, the Heavens would have been preparing a special place in Hell to cast him into for that particular act of torture. ' _A-and here I thought… you promised! You promised the other day, t-that you will answer aaaall of my qeust-questions. Thoroughly! A-and you… kissed me on my hand and then… nothing? You… you demon! You…'_ "All right, I have heard enough. Turn it off, turn it off!" Thea said pleadingly, trying to reach the cell phone, silently grateful that they have been walking through an empty alley out of anyone's earshot. "Not a chance, the best part is only about to come." Mephisto grinned devilishly, his fangs flashing as he held the phone up, away from the girl's reach. Thea tried to reach up, even jumped a little, but to no avail - the demon was simply too tall. ' _N-no, I'm … I'm still not done sssspeaking to that head-idiot-master-demon! He didn't even … take me to a proper date, yet he k-keeps stealing kisses! That's not faaair… that's not how it should be done!'_ "You teasing, kiss-stealing demon!" she puffed, the heat in her cheeks rising with every word coming out of the device. "Can't help it, you make it too easy for me, dear." he tapped her nose with a finger, silently fighting the cuteness-overload.

"Oh really? _Fine_ , let's play by your rules then." Mephisto had to bend down as Thea pulled at his tie, meeting her lips with his. The kiss was chaste and swift, but felt absolutely sweet to the demon. " _That_ was for the garden." she said with a determined, slightly hazed look, then took the demon's face in both hands and another, a tad more intense kiss followed. " _Dear Lord, I should have stolen more of these…"_ The demon clasped the cell phone swiftly, then exhaled and allowed the pleasantly thrilling feeling to spread in his chest. The exhilarating sensation was over soon. Too soon. " _That_ was for the night you barged into my room. T-there… now we are even, so…" a hand suddenly buried into her golden locks and another rested gently on her cheek, as the demon claimed her lips passionately. He was surprised how much he missed that peculiar warm feeling, not to mention the intoxicating smell of honey and cinnamon. After a few delightful seconds, he broke the kiss reluctantly and regarded the girl's flushed face - she was absolutely breathtaking. And out of breath, too. " _That_ was for the Warding room." he grinned broadly. Then, he suddenly tensed as he regarded the blonde more closely. " _My ward… it's gone! Again. But how? It was here just a moment ago."_ his mind was racing, unable to comprehend the protective spell's absence.

"Seriously?" the blonde laughed in disbelief, interrupting the demon's slightly panicked thoughts. "That was a peck on the cheek! You can't possibly compare those two! Not fair at all." "I am a demon, dear. This is as fair as I am willing to play it. If you have any objections, then perhaps you can try and get even again." he winked playfully, slipping back to his usual nonchalant demeanor. "You know, maybe I will…" Thea smiled a little flirty. "I think I'll start with… taking you to that dinner." she whispered into his ear, then burst out with laughter. "My treat!" "Actually, Thea…" the demon started, but before he could object any further, the blonde pulled at his hand enthusiastically, taking the lead. "I know! There is a very good place just a few blocks away where they make the best noodles!" "Noodles?" "Yes. You like noodles, don't you?" she smiled and the demon's eyes widened. "I do… How do you know?" he asked curiously - after all, he never told her. "Well, why else would you be running around the Academy slurping them while you could have a nice meal at a restaurant or some of the fancy meals at the school cafeteria?" she giggled as if it was completely obvious.

Mephisto ran his fingers through his hair, trying to mask the slight blush on his face - she could be so attentive. He simply couldn't believe it. Everything turned out so unexpectedly different when she was included. He had the whole evening planned-out perfectly, including the reservation in a high-class restaurant. After all, this was not his first romantic rendezvous, and as a gentleman he proudly considered himself to be, he knew exactly what women expected from a proper date, and especially from a man of his standing. Or so he had thought… The demon had realized that showering Thea with flowers, expensive gifts and extravagant outings was probably not the way, but he surely had not expected… well, _this_. "How very observant of you, dear. Very well, lead the way." he said, excited for what the night might yet bring.

OoO

"Thea… it's fantastic!" Mephisto fawned all over, the noodles practically melting in his mouth as the unlikely duo was enjoying the dinner at the local stand. "I know, right? I am so happy you like them. So, uhm… how was your day?" Mephisto paused, completely taken back by that surprising question. "How was… my day?" he wondered. While it was a perfectly normal conversation topic, nobody really asked him _that_. He was a _demon lord_ \- beings tended to give him completely different questions. Like ' _What do you plan to do with the Son of Satan?'_ or ' _Do you really think you can get away with this, you filthy demon?'_ or perhaps ' _When is this torture going to end?'_. "Mephisto? Are you all right?" Thea pulled him out of his thoughts. "Ah, my apologies - it was a particularly busy day. You see, my car got stolen…" the demon smirked, holding Thea's gaze expectantly. "No way! How did that happen? Have the police found it yet?" she asked and Mephisto had to do his best not to burst out with laughter - she truly didn't remember much of the night's events. "Yes, my limousine was returned to me today, containing only minor scratches from some bushes here and there. Apparently, a student of the True Cross Academy decided to 'borrow' it without my consent." he exhaled, shaking his head lamentably. "Seriously?! A student? Wow… what a nerve!" "Indeed… Then again, the student took it in order to save the lives of her fellow students. Apparently, they were dying of hunger, so it was perfectly justified - or so I hear…" "Dying of _hunger_? What kind of a lame excuse is that? Is that girl for real?" Thea chuckled and rolled her eyes, obviously unconvinced, and the Lord of Time failed to hold the laugh inside. "Oh, very much so. Although, I too sometimes wonder…" the demon's fangs flashed as a broad grin spread on his face.

Suddenly, the girl's brows furrowed in thought and she regarded Mephisto quizzically. "Wait a moment… Nooo…" she said with a hint of a smile, refusing to believe her suspicion. "Yes." "Noooo…" the smile was replaced by an abashed expression and the demon just leaned in closer with his trademark smirk. "Yes." "God noooo. No… noooo… no?" came a flustered, nervous voice from behind the hands Thea was using to cover her red face. "Oh yes." Mephisto finished, showering Thea with a series of the most embarrassing photos of her life. Just how many of those did her classmates take, anyway?! "Mephisto, I… I am so sorry! I wish I could explain but… I swear I am not like that… Most of the time, that is… I don't go around drinking and stealing cars or suits or… anything!" she finished, completely flustered. "Are you sure about that, dear?" the demon fixed her with an amused look and tapped with his finger on his lips as if in thought. "If I remember correctly, you are already in possession of _two_ of my cloaks - apart from my suit, that is. Are you starting a collection, perhaps?" he leaned on one hand, watching the girl's face go ashen-white as he scrolled through some further pictures of her in his white principal's uniform. "Hey, I just haven't got the opportunity to return those yet! Don't get any weird ideas, OK?!" "Oh, but I don't mind at all. However, if you'll continue, I might just end up with nothing to wear. Unless that was your intention in the first place…" he pushed again, unable to stop himself - she was just so teasable!

Thea was slowly, but surely dying of embarrassment inside. " _Aaargh… just what did I expect from a date with a demon?! This is a_ torture _, that's what it is! That's right - he's torturing me and he's having the time of his life while at it. Not that the teasing isn't kind of fun… But he's having all the fun at my expense! I have to do something!"_ she pouted, completely shamefaced. "That's just ridiculous! You _gave_ me those cloaks yourself, remember? You make it sound like I am some kind of a creepy stalker, yet _you_ are the one sneaking into an innocent girl's room at nights." she humphed and puffed up her cheeks. "Ah, but I was not sneaking in, I got an invitation from the very same innocent and particularly eager girl, remember?" the demon waved his phone in front of Thea, producing the cursed SMS she must have sent by mistake when she had been half-asleep. " _Great, Thea. Just great! Keep offering him one good opportunity after another… Dammit, he is just too good at this!"_ "Fine, point taken. Now, do you want your girl to die of embarrassment right on the first date? Because if it is possible to die of such a cause, I might be very near it…" she looked at him pointedly - she was simply no match for him and she bet that if the demon wanted, he could probably keep doing this for the whole day without even breaking a sweat. "What can I say, it's the playful demon's nature you are always so successful at bringing out…" he winked, poking her nose again. "Still, my apologies for teasing you so much." "Oh please, you are having the time of your life." she rolled her eyes, but smiled. "That I certainly am, my dear." the demon grinned, then kissed her hand gently, trying to convey the earnestness behind the last claim. He truly was having the time of his life, but it was not only thanks to all the teasing. It has been some time since he had enjoyed a conversation with such a spark while also remaining completely at ease.

"Well, me too... " Thea mumbled with flushed cheeks, then smiled. "So, you said your day sure was busy, and I do not mean to pry into that. However, what does a demon lord do in his free time?" "Ah… you know, the usual - watching movies, reading some… literature." " _Wow, that was awfully general even for him. That must mean… time for me to dig in deeper. Hihihi."_ Thea thought, already looking forward to what she might uncover. " _Some_ literature?" she arched an eyebrow. "Well, what _kind_ of literature?" "I enjoy the classics, as well as the modern pieces." the demon answered cryptically, unsure about how Thea would react to his otaku-persona. The girl just grinned mischievously, then pinned him with as suggestive a look as she could muster. "You know, the more you beat around the bush, the more I am getting the feeling that you are into something reeeealy scandalous." The demon's eye twitched and he adjusted his tie to gain some time. "That depends. I admit to have a weak spot for German literature - as you might already have noticed. As for the newer literature… Would you be familiar with the works of Mizuho Kusanagi, Hiro Fujiwara, Nakaba Suzuki or Arina Tanemura, per any chance?" the demon leaned on his hand in expectation, taking the safest path to answer Thea's question. It was a matter of a simple, calculated logic, really - she would either not know the names of his favorite manga authors, thus enabling him to move on to a different topic or she would recognize the individuals and enjoy the conversation about their work. Judging from her beautifully beaming expression and sparkling eyes, the demon has just found another common ground. "Oh my God, Mephisto! You too read manga? I can't believe it! Oh, what do you think of the last volume of Akatsuki no Yona? Do you watch anime, too? And when you do, do you usually prefer the Japanese or the dubbed version? No, wait - do you also go to the comic-cons? And what about…" A sonorous laugh interrupted Thea's enthusiastic question-assault. _"Dear Lord, is she real?"_ the demon kept looking at the blonde in silent wonder and prepared himself for another thrilling conversation.

OoO

"It's _fine_. I already said that this is my treat." Thea said when the demon tried to stop her from settling the bill for their dinner. "And _I_ already said that although I truly do appreciate the offer, it is the gentleman's place to pay for dinner." he winked, attempting to persuade the stubborn blonde. "Mephisto, you know I like that gentleman personality of yours, but I've got this." " _Now I do."_ The Lord of Time smirked inwardly, then regarded her with a hint of frustration - letting the lady pay was out of question. "Thea, be reasonable. You are still a student and I…" Thea just rolled her eyes and waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. I know who you are, Mephisto. But that does not mean I will take advantage of it." she looked him in the eyes pointedly. "Besides, you are completely missing the point." "Oh?" the demon arched his eyebrows questioningly and folded his hands. "Care to enlighten me?"

"This is not about the money…" she blushed, brushing off her unruly golden locks and came right back at him with all the arguments which seemed just so obvious to her. "You saved my thesis. My whole studies - years of tremendous work, my aspiration and dream. Trust me, this is the _least_ I can do to return the favor I never even asked for. I imagine getting the USB from Hell was no trivial matter. Also, you already turned up with a gorgeous rose and a sack of Mozartkugeln! Besides… I just want to do something nice for you. When was the last time anyone treated you to something delicious, hm?" Mephisto's mouth fell open, but he couldn't get a sound out of it. The blonde took it as a clear victory for her and rushed off to settle the bill, leaving the demon with his confused thoughts. " _Goodness me… What has just happened? Has she just won an argument with me?!"_ he buried the fingers of his hand into his hair in disbelief. And just like that, Mephisto - the mighty Lord of Time, the wealthy principal of the prestigious True Cross Academy, the exemplary gentleman of every social gathering - got treated to his date-dinner by a young, completely oblivious medicine student…

"All right! Let's go." Thea said cheerfully, then noticed her date's horrified expression. "Oh, come ooon. It's just noodles - nothing I couldn't afford. Moreover, I don't work just to pay for my bills, you know?" she folded her hands. "Sometimes, it is nice just to treat yourself to something delicious. For example, I could never say no to cinnamon rolls or muffins. And…" "You work?" a question interrupted the blonde's list of all the irresistible treats. "Ah, yes, of course I work." Thea blinked away the initial confusion, only for it to settle on Mephisto's face. " _Well, congratulations! To think I have just let her pay… I was under the impression that her parents have been supporting her studies. Apparently, that assumption was flawed. I should have expected that much…"_ he winced at the unpleasant memory of meeting Thea's parents. " _When does she even have time for a job? … It's settled then._ No more _lost arguments with her."_ the demon decided with an adamant resolve, then started inquiring.

"My, my. Aren't you a busy-bee. Considering all the activities you are involved in, one would think that you too possess time-altering abilities." he rubbed his beard meaningfully, making the girl chuckle. "Oh, I _wish_ I had those. I used to work on the weekends, but since I have started studying at your Academy, I had to move it to the evenings and nights. But it's actually better that way - my focus spikes at night." "I see… May I know what it is you do for a living?" the demon inclined his head curiously. "Well, it's really flexible, but basically - I help my fellow students. Some of them I teach German and English. I also translate foreign research papers, so the students could use the material for their papers, thesis or research in general - much as I did for Toshiro just recently. But that was a favor, of course. Oh, and if they decide to write anything in English, I proofread the texts and make corrections for them. That kind of stuff…" she finished with a smile, earning a look of honest appreciation from Mephisto. "Now that is quite commendable, dear. It sounds like a lot of intense and precise work with very specific terminology." he said, trying to venture deeper in the interesting topic. "Oh, it sure is! You see…" Thea picked up on the topic as they were strolling through the night streets towards the Wadakura fountain park.

OoO

"Let me see… OK, I think that you actually enjoy movies with a lot of drama and unexpected events. I bet you even watch romantic pieces!" Thea grinned, continuing their guessing game. The absence of a flik to her forehead from the demon marked her assumption as correct. " _She is too good at this…"_ the demon remarked inwardly, disappointed with the overall score 13:4 for Thea. At least he was certain about Thea's favorite movie genre - thanks to Ayami. "Very well, my turn. I would say… fantasy. And comedy. Definitely comedy." "Wow, that was so confident! Right you are." she giggled while Mephisto fought the strange feeling that he had been cheating in the game. Cheating and still losing… He would definitely need to do better. Losing in this game meant receiving a flick to the forehead - which was already red enough after thirteen wrong guesses.

A cheerful voice interrupted the demon's musings. "For me, there is enough drama in the real world, so when I finally decide to watch a movie, I want to dive into a world of imagination. Or just relax and see something funny. Just as the last time when I was late with my thesis, I wanted to cheer myself up a little and watched… ah, uhm… a comedy." she grinned innocently, but the damage was already done and the demon's interest spiked. " _A_ comedy? Well, Thea. _Which_ comedy?" he leaned in closer, fixing her with that uncompromising look of his. "Uhm… an older German one. And that's all I say to it! It's too embarrassing and you wouldn't know it, anyway." she covered her already red face, unknowingly encouraging the demon to dig in deeper. " _Embarrassing_ , you say? Well, I am all ears." "No way, you are going to laugh." blonde locks rustled as Thea shook her head. "That is quite likely. It is a _comedy_ , after all." he grinned, his eyes playing mischievously. "Come now. I too admitted watching movies with angel-demon topics. True, it was for educational purposes only, but I would lie if I claimed I had not enjoyed them." he said, attempting to lure the answer out of the girl by pointing out that he had already offered a similarly detailed answer in return.

His plan worked just wonderfully and Thea finally exhaled, pulling the hands away from her face. "Fine… Der Schuh des Manitu…" she blurted out at a deadly speed, then dared to lift her look up enough to face the demon. "Nooo." his lips curled into a smirk. "Yes…" nodded. "Noooo." the demon put a hand on his mouth, the smirk widening into a grin. "Well… yes." Thea scratched her head nervously. "Dear Lord, no way!" Mephisto started laughing all over, leaning with his hands on his knees. "Yeah, yeah. It's out, OK? I _knew_ you would laugh! Aaarg, seriously…" Thea's hands found their way back to her beetroot-colored face. "I can't believe anyone would still remember that one!" the demon brushed a tear away from his eye, then lifted the girl's chin. "I happen to find that one most enjoyable." he grinned and the girl's eyes widened. "Really?" she questioned suspiciously, but the demon just nodded earnestly. "Pfff… who would have thought? You know, everyone says that Germans have no sense of humor, but that is just so wrong! That comedy is absolutely hilarious!" she giggled. "I couldn't agree more. Still, why do you like it so much?" the demon inquired. "Well, there are many reasons. First of all, take the main antagonist. Now that I think about it, he actually kind of reminds me of you." Thea tapped her finger on her lips. "Oh?" Mephisto arched one eyebrow in question. "Well, sure. I mean, he is the villain, but he is such a gentleman, too! And his companions…" the girl continued chatting enthusiastically while the demon tried to slow his heartbeat down to some reasonable pace.

OoO

"A party?" Thea gaped at the beautifully ornamented invitation card Mephisto has just handed to her. After their long, but too short night walk through the parks, the demon walked her back to her dorms. "That is correct." he nodded in confirmation. "Every year in August, I host a prestigious ball for all students, staff and partners of the True Cross Academy. I would be most honored if you attended it with me." Mephisto looked at the blonde in expectation. "Of course, Mephisto. It would be my pleasure." the girl smiled, producing a small lady-like bow, holding her skirts half seriously, half mockingly. The demon chuckled at that gesture, then kissed her hand, secretly producing a protective ward. "Splendid. Well, it is about time I departed for tonight. It has been lovely, dear." he said and, having seen the expectant look in the blonde's eyes, pulled her closer and showered his charming little lady with soft kisses. The blonde breathed out with a smile, nuzzling the demon sweetly, unknowingly tempting him to do much more than simply kissing her.

" _No! You are a gentleman tonight, remember? … Well, perhaps if…"_ "I am afraid I truly need to depart now." the demon said huskily, slowly pulling away from the girl. "Unless… Hast du noch einen letzten Wunsch?" he held her gaze meaningfully. Thea's face beamed suddenly, and the demon had to gulp to calm his rising desire down. "Oh my God! Is that a Manitu reference?" she giggled and decided to reply with the follow-up quote from the embarrassing comedy. "Sure! Das Lied aus der Superperforator-Werbung!" Thea clasped her hands, absolutely destroying the demon's innuendo and passionate mood, but also bringing him to a heartfelt laughter. " _When will I finally learn? - No jumping to conclusions with this little daredevil!"_ he shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. " _Very well, time to shine…"_ The demon racked his brain for the song she had asked him to perform, found it and finally, did his very best to do the silly commercial song - feeling just as silly, but also happy all the way through it. When his performance ended, Thea started clapping enthusiastically. And, on her third clap, the Lord of Time teleported her straight to the main gate of her dormitories, then left for his Academy.

OoO

Thea was lying in her bed, surrounded by her plush companions, unable to drift into sleep. How could she possibly sleep now, anyway? There were too many emotions and thoughts floating in her mind persistently. " _Did that really happen?"_ the girl shook her head in disbelief. " _A date… A real date-date. With the headmaster, at that!"_ she covered her face in embarrassment, then her eyes widened in a sudden rush of panic. " _Wait a moment… with the_ headmaster _? What about the_ demon _part?!"_ a realization dawned on her. " _No way… I completely disregarded the demon part, didn't I? Seriously… more concerned about him being the headmaster than him being a demon… I mean, I have known him for a few months, but still…"_ she pondered, surprised by her own actions. " _Why do I feel at such ease around him?"_ A silent chuckle escaped her lips - the lips which were kissed so wonderfully tonight. " _I really_ do _like him, huh?"_ she blushed, all the pleasant memories from the night rushing through her head. She couldn't remember the last time she had had such a great time. " _I am dating Mephisto…"_ she thought. In secrecy, for now - as they both agreed during the date. After all, it was for the best that they kept their unusual relationship at a professional level while at the Academy. Still, she was dating Mephisto! Her headmaster and a demon lord of some kind. But more importantly, she was dating an interesting, handsome man with a great sense of humor and a wonderful taste for sweets… She smiled and bit into another delicious Mozartkugel.

OoO

It was already late night when Gin's master stopped by to check on his progress with the invasion investigation. The demon lord's steps were brisk and that disturbingly fond smile on his face was positively betraying his great mood. "So, how did your 'investigation' go?" Gin grinned, looking up from the stacks of papers he was going through at the moment. Mephisto almost missed a step at that question. " _My investigation! No way… Don't tell me… I completely forgot about investigating the reason behind the inconsistent level of her power."_ the demon realized in shock. It was unbelievable how much attention his charming lady managed to steal from him. "Well, judging from her beaming face and burning cheeks when you two parted, I would say splendidly." The secretary continued when he had not received any answer. Mephisto smirked - so, the spy was around, undoubtedly waiting for a chance to take another look at Thea when she would arrive at the dorms. Her powers must have spiked interest in Gin, as well.

"So, what do you think? Any hypothesis?" the demon lord arched an eyebrow, receiving a smug grin in return. "B-cup. Definitely B-cup." the demon secretary said smugly. "My, my. Looks like I am not keeping you busy enough considering that you have enough time to wonder about things that are absolutely _not your business_. Perhaps you would be interested in joining team seventeen on their mission in Alaska?" the headmaster pinned him with an amused, devilish look, fully aware of Gin's aversion to cold and snow. "To the point then…" Gin shivered - just hearing about that place helped his head cool down. "Not much has changed, really. Miss Heilbrunn had some trouble keeping her aura suppressed, but I would attribute that little struggle to one particularly disturbing external element." Gin's eyes played. "Seeing the lady safely home - that is just so like you… " the secretary mused on. "But of course. If you were half the gentleman I am, you too would understand the importance of a safe escort or the courtesy of a protection ward." "A protection ward?" Gin's brows furrowed in confusion. "There was none on her, Samael…" the secretary finished and Mephisto's good spirits resolved like a mist.

OoO

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**Disclaimer:** Blue Exorcists belongs to Kazue Katō. Please, do not re-post or publish my story without my consent.

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**Author's note:** Hi everyone! :) I am happy to post yet another chapter of my Ardent Exorcist series. In case you would like to better understand the movie reference I used, perhaps you should check out this video (at your own risk :D): https://youtu.be/I_wc3DfgQvs . It is an older and absolutely hilarious and embarrassing German comedy I remembered when writing this chapter and I just HAD to mention it somewhere :D Just as the 99 Luftballons and other songs which are probably older than I am :D Anyway, stay tuned for upcoming chapters!

P.S. Your feedback is much appreciated. I am always looking forward to your thoughts and insights ^^


	16. Different rules apply to each, teach'

A thunder rolled in the skies above and the rainfall intensified, causing Thea to clutch her umbrella tighter in preparation for another downpour. The blonde loved summer storms - the fresh, moist air they brought, the beautiful spectacle the lightning performed among the fluffy clouds, the strong contrasting light against the dark night sky. Usually, she would stop to admire all of it for a moment, but she did not want to be late for her second date, so she rushed on instead, maneuvering between the puddles. _"OK, now to the right and then… at the end of the alley to the left, and then…"_ The girl rechecked the directions which were supposed to lead her to a restaurant Mephisto had specified in his yesterday's call. Fortunately, she had managed to wriggle out of the proposal to be picked up and driven to the place in his limousine. _"Are you sure, dear? I was under the impression that you took quite a liking to my car."_ the annoying, suggestive, but admittedly pleasant voice sounded in Thea's head. _"Geez… I borrowed it_ once _and he will just not let it go!"_ she pouted.

"Hello there. So, you are the strange girl my big brother keeps talking about." a curious, young man's voice interrupted Thea's thoughts, followed by a sudden yank as the male grabbed her at her locks, pulling her head from under the umbrella. The blonde yelped, then her eyes widened in a terrible realization - the brutish touch alone was enough for her to get a feel of the tremendous, greenish aura, marking the individual as a demon. "Hey, don't yell, stupid!" he clasped his clawed hand over the girl's mouth and tilted her head roughly to face him, pinning her with an intense stare. In an instant, his clothes started charring and the skin of his hands burning painfully. The demon pulled his hands back instinctively, letting go of the girl, and before he could react, a collapsed umbrella landed on his head with a loud smack. He barely noticed the impact, but it completely ruined his hairstyle. "M-my hair!" he said, gingerly reaching for it and his expression darkened - he was quite touchy when it came to his hair. "How dare you!" He grabbed the umbrella with an annoyed sneer and broke it with a slight movement of his thumb, just as easily as a pencil. However, the girl's pathetic move turned out to be only a distraction, because soon, a shockingly powerful surge of energy burst out in front of him. Then, the strange blonde set off running down the alley away from him at a deadly speed.

Amaimon looked at his charred hands and clothes curiously. _"What is this?"_ the Lord of Earth wondered in a stunned silence while the rain kept pouring, further ruining his hairstyle, but also pleasantly cooling his burnt skin. _"I've been… hurt?"_ came a sudden realization. That did not happen to one such as him very often. True, Rin did manage to deal some damage to him during their little game, but he was a half-demon, his half-brother who inherited Satan's own flames. This girl, however, was a mere mortal. _"Why? Why am I not healed yet?!"_ he thought with a hint of rising panic, willing his regenerative abilities to work. Only the most serious wounds seemed to be closing, and even that was happening at a terribly slow pace. _"It_ does _work, but not nearly as fast as it should… I see… So that's why big brother is so interested in this mortal! She is strong. Just what is she? I wonder… I must go and play with her a little. Yes. I must see for myself."_ he nodded to himself in resolve and prepared to jump up on the roof to follow her - she couldn't have run too far and she would be easy enough to sniff out. Suddenly, Amaimon's golden eyes widened in disbelief as he struck an invisible barrier in the middle of his jump, then ended up back on the floor with his clothes scorched even more than before. The dimly pulsing runes forming a circle on the ground prevented him from leaving his current position. _"Satan's Flames! Be gone with you!"_ the Lord of Earth gritted his teeth and started pounding at the barrier in a futile attempt to break free from it. Nothing. His annoyance rising to dangerous levels, he poured almost all he had into one powerful strike in hopes to tear it down. And failed.

OoO

_"_ _Ten seconds."_ Mephisto kept hypnotizing the entrance door of the restaurant he has been sitting in, his fingers entwined to keep his hands from twitching. _"If she is not here in ten seconds, safe and sound, I will…"_ a loud thump interrupted his countdown as the door flew open, revealing his panting and soaked lady. _"Na endlich…"_ The Lord of Time closed his eyes and let out the breath he did not realize he had been holding since he had felt Thea's energy spike outside, a few blocks away. The waiter gave the blonde a strange, skeptical look, then finally escorted her to their table on the balcony in the secluded part. Mephisto's eyes narrowed - has the waiter perhaps noticed something that escaped his attention? The demon regarded Thea closely as she walked through the sections towards him, checking for any signs of a fight. Her hair was disheveled and the absence of high-heeled shoes in favor of sneakers indicated that this time, Thea had been in charge of her outfit, although Ayami had definitely supplied another matching piece of jewelry. For reasons he could not phantom, the demon found himself liking Thea's choice better - the white blouse and navy-blue trousers truly suited her, even though they clung to her body, dripping slightly. Or perhaps it was because of it? _"Honestly now… What on Earth am I thinking? Focus!"_ The Lord of Time scolded himself inwardly, directing his thoughts towards the intended search for potential injuries. Fortunately, she seemed to be unharmed.

"My lady." the demon stood up smoothly and kissed her hand. Thea's cheeks took on a pinkish shade after hearing those words. _"'My lady', huh? Yes, that gentlemen's persona of his is definitely my weak spot…"_ she gulped, then smiled, unsure how to call him in such a situation. Then again, at least she remembered to call him by the name he went by in public - at least in front of the waiter. "Hello Johann." "Thea, are you alright? You are soaking wet." he remarked with a questioning look. "Ah… yes, I just kind of lost my umbrella on the way here… I am fine, everything's just fine…" the blonde waved him off with an innocent grin, then her expression became one of a focus, as her eyes searched the spacious room from the entrance door up to the high windows. "My, my. You have just arrived, yet you are already searching for a way out? You are hurting me, dear." the demon put a hand on his chest in feigned lament and smirked.

"Huh? I am not… oh." Thea snapped out of her alert mode and giggled. "Aaaaw, no worries. You see, it's the other way around - I am making sure that we will enjoy a nice, _undisturbed_ evening." she winked at him secretively. "I just ran into… one troublesome demon. But nothing I couldn't han… ha… achoo!" "Gesundheit." the demon chuckled while his mind was already at work, trying to puzzle out Thea's encounter. _"Interesting. Considering how much she tries to avoid demons, she certainly seems to attract them a lot. That is probably also the reason why she seems to be well accustomed to their attacks."_ Mephisto's eyes suddenly played with amusement - Thea was a magnet for trouble, but that also meant that things got way more interesting when she was involved. "Now, maybe next time, you will think twice before rejecting my kind offer and have my chauffeur drive you." he tapped her nose. "Riiight. Thanks, but no, thanks." "Well, I'll let you think about it. Just for the record, I had the car bar restocked with some sweets." the demon said offhandedly, fully aware that he had also made it a point to include Thea's favorite ones into the selection. "Yeah right, keep offering the girl some candy, then she will get into your shiny car for sure…" Thea giggled, shooting Mephisto meaningful glances, until his eye twitched in a strange mix of amusement and irritation. _"Oh, that little… Making me sound like some kind of a pervert. To think that I actually went to Salzburg to fetch another batch of Mozartkugeln…"_ "Well, maybe she will. After all, could she truly resist gummy bears, Kinder Überraschung or Mozartkugeln?" The demon stroked his beard, eying her sideways, then a wide grin spread on his face as he saw the blonde clasping her hands to her cheeks, her eyes sparkling. "Really? Mozartkugeln? The golden-red ones or the silver-blue ones?" came an eager question which obviously played an important role in how Thea would perceive the demon's taste in sweets. Mephisto let out a low chuckle, then winked at her. "You would need to find out for yourself, dear."

"Well, maybe I… achoo!" Mephisto's brows furrowed and a strangely serious expression settled on his face. "Are you getting a cold, dear?" "No, of course not. I don't really get sick and when I do, it's usually gone overnight. So, you see…" before she could finish the sentence, she suddenly felt the demon's forehead on hers, his hands gently holding her head in place and his forest-green eyes concentrating. "Hmmm… it does not seem like you have a fever. Then again, your cheeks are burning…" Thea could indeed feel a wave of heat burning in her cheeks, but for completely different reasons. She pulled away, her face positively redder than before. "T-that's not a fever!" she blurted out, covering her face in embarrassment, when suddenly, a soft fabric enveloped her. "In any case, you'd better dry yourself off." Mephisto said, shuffling her hair with his jacket. "Whoa, hold it… not with your jacket!" the blonde protested - knowing herself, she would probably forget about it and leave with another piece of the demon's wardrobe without even realizing it. Well, not this time! "Oh, do you have a better idea, then?" he cut a disarming smile. "In fact, I do… Listen, how about you give me two more minutes? I'll just go to the restroom and use the hand dryer. And maybe some towels… I'll be right back, promise." she said quickly, then ran off. Mephisto just shook his head in a slight puzzlement, then his eyes burnt with determination. "Ein~Zwei~Drei!" the clatter of tableware subsided, and the murmur of silent discussion died out with a snap of Mephisto's fingers, as the time came to a complete halt. "I'll be back this very instant, promise. As if I never left…" The demon lord waved towards Thea with a low chuckle, then turned on his heel and set off to investigate before the daring individual who had decided to disturb his beautiful evening managed to escape.

He did not have to go very far - he could feel Thea's pulsing power just a few blocks away, over the corner at the end of the valley. His eyes almost popped out as he reached his destination, which revealed his little brother standing in Thea's binding circle, frozen right in the middle of what seemed to be a furious attempt to demolish an invisible wall, undoubtedly cursing in the process. His clothes were charred and soaked at the same time. However, the situation was even worse than he had anticipated - Amaimon's hairstyle was completely ruined and it did not seem to be a work of the rain! Mephisto's low chuckles slowly echoed through the street. His mind was a turmoil of thoughts and hypotheses, each one of them competing with the other to be addressed with priority. Before he could decide which one was the most burning one, the sheer absurdity of the situation caused him to burst out with laughter. _"Dear Lord, that girl is one little, oblivious troublemaker! 'Nothing she couldn't handle', was it? Honestly now, as if trapping the Lord of Earth in a binding circle was a minor feat, not even worth mentioning… What on Earth is going on?"_ He shook his head, racking his brain for answers. He had already checked her background, he had been in regular touch with her teachers, monitoring her progress at the True Cross Academy, he himself had tested her powers in the Warding Room. And yet, there was still no clear answer to her ridiculously inconsistent power level.

_"_ _Have you considered the fact that she might be well aware of her_ 'inconsistently strong' _power?"_ Gin's words suddenly sounded in his head, stirring his emotions, providing a new wave of alertness. _"Well, the only time her powers seemed suddenly so much stronger was when the situations were life-threatening. Not during a class or a training session, but rather during truly dangerous occasions, which might hint on… No!"_ Mephisto put a stop to that disturbing train of thoughts and shook his head in what the secretary would probably call a stubborn denial. _"Besides, no one is such a good actor. No one."_ Then again, the demon had not lived for such a long time thanks to looking through rose-tinted glasses. Metaphorically speaking - he had in fact a pair or two such pieces in possession. _"It would seem that I need to make the investigation regarding Thea's powers my number one priority after all."_ The Lord of Time concluded, then let the time flow for his brother.

"Well, hello, little brother. Is there any reason why you are outside of the Academy grounds, not to mention causing ruckus and interfering with my evening?" Mephisto eyed Amaimon with an arched eyebrow, assuming his usual nonchalant demeanor with a hint of scolding. "Big brother!" The green-haired Lord of Earth called out, relief written all over his face. "Brother, quick! Help me out of this cursed thing, before the human girl's trail disappears! The rain is washing away her scent and I have to catch up with her!" Amaimon said with urgency. _"Oh my, I know that determined, predatory look in his eyes… Honestly, I should have known that Amaimon would want to battle and test his powers against any being who manages as much as scratch him… He could be so competitive! I really need to do something about that reckless attitude, else Japan can ready itself for another earthquake…"_ Mephisto just shook his head - the list of tasks he had yet to address seemed to be growing every day. "My dear brother. Why is it you ended up in that 'cursed thing' in the first place, hmm?" he leaned in from under his umbrella, careful not to get too close to Thea's circle, half-expecting it to suck him inside as well. Irrational nonsense, of course, but one could never be sure around that girl. "I have no idea. I simply came to say hello, and she just screamed, smacked me with that umbrella thing, and then ran away. Humans are just so strange… Just how do you get along with them so easily?" he shook his head. He was never able to figure out those creatures his brother seemed to like so much.

_"_ _All right, this is_ hilarious _…"_ the Lord of Time thought with silent amusement as he imagined the whole situation. _"...but also potentially dangerous. And as ridiculous as this might sound, the one in danger could actually be Amaimon. Well, I will not share that little detail with either of them… Still, Amaimon needs a lesson. If my little brother wants to stay with me at Assiah, he must realize what he did. He has to understand the ways of humans and the amount of power he is allowed to use around them, lest he wants to accidentally crush them…"_ Snapping out of his musings, Mephisto pinned his brother with an uncompromising, scolding look. "I see… Do you also recall _why_ she screamed?" A guilty expression appeared on Amaimon's face. _"Good."_ the demon lord thought with a hint of satisfaction. "I am… not quite sure." The Lord of Earth started thoughtfully. "She was kind of hiding under the umbrella, so I just pulled her out by her hair to take a better look at her."

Having seen the irritated twitch in his brother's eyes, Amaimon gulped and swiftly added. "No worries, brother. I was careful, I swear! I did not break her or anything! Besides, she was _strong_. I can tell. Is that why you are keeping an eye on her, big brother? Oh, oh, will you let me play with her like with Rin? I am sure she will prove quite an interesting opponent and, oh, I just can't wait to…" before Amaimon could finish his list of questions, Mephisto pointed his umbrella at him. "Listen well, Amaimon. There will be no more hair pulling, no chasing and definitely no fighting unless I say so." "But…" " _Is that clear_?" "Y-Yes, brother…" Amaimon sulked, unable to argue with Mephisto any further on that topic. "Splendid!" the principal cut a satisfied grin. "Could you at least get me out of here?" Amaimon pleaded with his older brother. A smug grin appeared on Mephisto's face, his fangs flashing as he stroked his beard in thought. "Oh, I certainly could, but you see, I am having dinner tonight and I do not care for any further disturbances. I suggest you use the time and think about what got you into this situation in the first place. Think about it as a training session." Mephisto said in his usual carefree demeanor, then his white cloak flashed as he was leaving his younger brother to deal with the problem on his own, knowing that Amaimon would probably spend the whole night trying to break free from the circle. An unpleasant and just slightly concerning thought suddenly crossed Mephisto's mind. _"I am not bluffing, am I? I_ could _break him out of there, for sure…"_

Upon entering the restaurant, the Lord of Time suddenly felt as if he too just got trapped in one of Thea's binding circles, frozen in place. _"Was um alles in der Welt…"_ a small bead of sweat ran down his spine as he regarded the blonde who was strolling around the restaurant, curiously poking the arm of one of the waiters, looking him up and down from every angle, nodding to herself thoughtfully. "Oh, Mephisto! Finally!" she exclaimed the moment she noticed his presence, then smiled sheepishly. "I, uhm… When I returned from the restroom, you were nowhere to be found. I got pretty bored, so I at least looked around." Mephisto gulped, his mind racing, all senses alerted, his powers at ready. _"That girl… How is that possible?! I stopped time for everyone._ Everyone… _"_ When no answer came from the demon, Thea fidgeted nervously. "Hey, you can't really blame me… I just got curious, OK? Maybe next time, when you decide to sneak out during our date and freeze everyone in place, you could at least let me know. Honestly, that was so impolite! Humph!" she said with a half-feigned displeasure, cheeks puffed up and arms folded in front of her meaningfully. Mephisto just gaped, still unable to process what has just transpired. _"And yet… here she is, free from my spell, strolling around without a care in the world, berating me for being impolite… Wahnsinn!"_

The Lord of Time suddenly felt a soft pull on his sleeve and twitched slightly, still unable to mask his surprise, let alone form a coherent sentence. "Mephisto? Have you frozen yourself in time as well?" Thea giggled, but seeing the demon's perplexed expression, she looked him in the eyes and said apologetically. "Hey, come now, I didn't mean to sound angry… Well, actually I did, but that was just me joking around a little. The truth is that I just… I got a little worried, OK?" Mephisto just blinked. _"_ You _got a little worried?_ You _?! Honestly… Am I dreaming?"_ "I see. My apologies, I didn't mean to make you worry." the demon finally said, cupping her cheek softly, reassuring himself that he had not been seeing things and the girl free from his spell was indeed there. The remnants of his power were still slightly present on her. _"Could she… Could she be_ unaware _that she broke out of my spell?"_ When Mephisto assured himself that Thea was truly standing in front of him, he tried to sell it off as a hopefully romantic gesture. Judging from her slightly flushed cheeks, he has done a good job of it. "I merely wanted to make sure that the area was indeed secure, so we can enjoy - as you put it - _'a nice, undisturbed evening'_." he slipped back into his nonchalant behavior. "Besides…" a mischievous smirk spread on Mephisto's face as he added smoothly. "... I was under the impression that women usually take their sweet time when in the bathroom, adjusting their make-up or hairstyle. Seems like you are in no need of such things though, considering your natural beauty. I should have known better." he shook his head in feigned lament. Another blush appeared on the blonde's face, then she grinned. "Aaaaw, well played, you gentleman. Alright, you are forgiven. So, how about we finally order something to eat?" she giggled and Mephisto just shook his head in amusement - she truly had her priorities straight. "With pleasure." he smiled fondly, leading his lady back to their table, so they could finally enjoy the evening.

OoO

"Wow, Mephisto! I knew you would have an excellent taste in wine, but this is really delicious." Thea praised, taking small sips from the glass. "I am glad you like it. I figured that you might appreciate the sweet sort." "Well, I certainly do, thanks!" the blonde smiled pleasantly, playing with the glass. "So, may I also assume that I made the unfortunate start of this evening up to you?" the demon leaned on one hand, holding her gaze. "Oh please, that's nothing, really. Trust me, I had _far_ worse starts… Or just… dates in general…" Thea cleared her throat, taking a gulp, rather than a sip. His interest already spiked, Mephisto arched an eyebrow. "Worse? I find that hard to imagine. Do tell!" he encouraged, eager to learn something more about her. "Ach, fine… For example, there was this guy who did not even bother to show up in the first place - turns out that pantomime is actually a huge turn off." the girl laughed softly, rubbing her temples, leaving Mephisto confused. "Pantomime?" he inquired curiously. "Yeah… the day before he stood me up, we had gone out for a date and suddenly, those little goblin demons had attacked us. And so, I had done my best to fend off the creatures my date couldn't even see… That's why I was simultaneously trying to sell the whole fight off as some crazy pantomime. You know, Jackie Chan style or something… Looks like he was not a fan, though." came a sour chuckle and the demon tried not to burst out with laughter as he imagined that bitter-sweet, completely ridiculous situation in which Thea had been boxing with air, saving her date and getting dumped for it. And so, Mephisto tried to moderate his reaction to massaging the bridge of his nose, pursing his lips and closing his eyes. "Oh, come now, no need to hold it, I know it's hilarious. Well, it wasn't before, but I can laugh about it now…" she laughed melodiously and Mephisto soon joined her. "Oh dear, it looks like I am not the only one whose romantic outings usually turn out so disappointingly."

Thea perked up at that commentary and leaned in, waiting for him to share more. "Really? I wouldn't have guessed so. After all, you are just so… you know, gentlemanly and everything… You always have things planned out so nicely and pay attention to every detail... " she gestured at his attire, the beautiful white flowers he had given her a few moments ago, then at the whole room they were sitting in. And yet again, the girl managed to bring a fond smile on the demon's lips thanks to the attentive compliment. "Thank you dear, it's nice to be appreciated." he nodded his head in acknowledgement. "However, my dates also paid attention to every detail, including the one little detail marking me as a demon of high standing." Lifting his finger with importance, the demon continued. "That also happens to be the second most occurring reason for dating me, and simultaneously the most common reason for a breakup." he shrugged. "Wait a moment… I think I am a little lost here. They wanted to date you because you are a demon, right? It does sound a little strange, but isn't that a good thing? I mean dating you, fully knowing who you really are?" the blonde asked perplexed. "That depends on the perspective, I believe. You see, most of them turned out to be assassins, exorcists or demon hunters, who wanted to use the opportunity to… _take care_ of me…" he intoned meaningfully. "... or gain political favors, perhaps even some kind of a voucher for free deals with a demon or something like that… They sure were creative in that particular aspect."

Thea's eyes widened, then her hand found her forehead with a loud smack. "Oh God… Mephisto, I am so sorry… That did not even… Damn!" she covered her face to mask her emotions, but the demon just chuckled. "How did you say it? Ah, right. No need to hold it, dear." He wanted Thea to laugh with him at the absurdity of their dating experiences, and apparently, the girl did not hold back the laughter at all. However, she also seemed to be genuinely sorry and also… worried? "Thea?" the demon inquired cautiously, slightly taken aback by her reaction. "You know what?" she asked, back to her witty, charming persona. "I'm actually starting to believe that if things can work out between me and someone, then that someone could really be you." She giggled and Mephisto's breath got caught in his throat as the girl offered him a sincere smile which he couldn't help but find heartwarming. "Oh?" That simple, utterly inarticulate question was all the demon could muster in that moment, still speechless after hearing Thea's strangely encouraging words. "And why is that?" he finally managed to formulate. "Because you are a _demon_ , duh!" she answered, as if it was the most obvious fact in the world. Mephisto ran his fingers through his hair, trying to puzzle out the strange claim while moderating his heartbeat to some reasonable pace. "I… I'm going to need a little more, dear…" he cleared his throat and Thea caught up enthusiastically, lifting her finger as she counted out. "Well, first, you will not call me crazy because I can see you and talk to you." she grinned. "And second, when I say 'I'm going to take care of you', it means with bandages and my healing powers. And maybe with a piece of cake, too." she held his gaze mischievously. "Careful though, I might just assassinate your taste buds with that last one." she added with a wink, then started laughing all over. _"So, it seems that the charming blonde lady has already stolen two things from you, dear master. ... She stole your car… and your heart!"_ Gin's words sounded in Mephisto's mind again, and this time, there was no stubborn denial which would meet them.

OoO

"A private training for Miss Heilbrunn?" Yukio's expression became thoughtful as the headmaster voiced yet another special request. "That is correct." Mephisto grinned from behind his wooden desk. "As of Monday, you shall tutor her in the mastery of the Doctor and Dragoon specializations." "Why that sudden decision, Sir?" "Why, she has _a lot_ to catch up since she has decided to go for both masteries, so we need to take a more _intense_ approach." "More intense approach?" came a surprised question. "She is already taking advanced Doctor's classes and I have also assigned some of the most crucial materials on Dragoon mastery to her to study before the new school year starts. Also, if I am not mistaken, she is preparing for her final exams at the university at the moment. With all due respect, Sir, this might not be the best timing for a concentration training." the young teacher counted out, a hint of frustration entering his voice - there was only so much he could push the students, no matter how talented they appeared to be.

The demon entwined his fingers thoughtfully. "It would appear that the time is of essence here. As always, these days…" a low exhale escaped his lips, then he stood up dramatically, fully back to his nonchalant demeanor. "Very well. You have four days to walk her through the basics of the Dragoon mastery - anything you find crucial, from laying traps to handling weaponry. As for the Doctor mastery, test her and do not lose the time with subjects she proves to be already knowledgeable about. Drop the basics and go for demon anatomy and direct healing techniques, potions and poisons and the like. I'll leave the details to you. You may also include your colleagues, that should provide a versatile enough learning environment." the demon stroked his beard, nodding to himself in satisfaction. Adjusting his glasses, Yukio cleared his throat. "All of that in just four days? That sounds rather… challenging. Honestly, I do not think it attainable, Sir."

"Oh, I beg to differ." The headmaster grinned broadly, tapping Yukio at his shoulders. "After all, you are the youngest person who has ever become a teacher of this prestigious academy, all that while also achieving two masteries." he waved his two fingers in front of the teacher meaningfully. "I have my full confidence in your capabilities." "Uhm, well, thank you, Sir." the teacher's cheeks flushed slightly at the compliment. "Besides…" the demon continued with a hint of amusement in his voice. "...training area no. 12 will be at your full disposal." Yukio's mouth fell open - he knew that place, although it sometimes seemed to be just a legend, really. The staff was rarely allowed to use it. "But Sir, four days… that would mean… almost _a month_ in _another dimension_!" "Indeed. Why the surprised expression? You needed more time, so I provided it. Now, I should hope you will dedicate the upcoming days to preparation for this special training." Yukio nodded with a strange mixture of excitement and disappointment. _"There goes my weekend again…"_ he thought a little solemnly. "Are there any special instructions?" "Why, thank you for reminding me!" the demon exclaimed, banging his fist into the palm of the other hand. "Apart from a few points I will share with you via the usual assignment form later on, there is one very important instruction." his eyes gleamed with an intense, almost predatory look, which made Yukio's skin crawl. "Push her to her limits. Or better - push her until you discover her limits."

OoO

"It's really nice you came to see me off, guys, but you don't need to wait here if you have other plans…" came Thea's apologetic voice. Then again, the one who was making them wait was no one else than their headmaster. _"Seriously… how come the guy is always late? He can manipulate the friggin' time!"_ Thea rolled her eyes inwardly but couldn't get the smile off her already beaming face. She was silently happy that he too would come to see her off before the announced special training with Yukio began. True, it had been no news to her to hear that she still had a lot to catch up, but the sudden urgency to speed up her studies had surprised her. "Hey, no biggie! It's not every day you get to leave for a special training." Rin grinned widely, patting the blonde energetically at her shoulder, his tail twitching as he was simply unable to restrain his unfortunate habit when too excited. "That's right, Thea. We came to cheer you up, so we are staying until you are on your way." Shiemi joined Rin. "As if we let a chance like this slip." Izumo added, her expression strangely focused and curious. A smug smirk spread on Bon's face as he poked the twin-tailed girl. "Looks like somebody can't wait to finally learn the way to the rumored training area no. 12." "Oh please, as if you too weren't dying from curiosity." she retorted with flushed cheeks. "So, when is the principal planning to show up, anyway? It's been good twenty minutes…" came an impatient question from Konekomaru, who also struggled with hiding all the excitement. Already used to the headmaster's terrible lack of punctuality, Yukio just shrugged and leaned on the wall of the high tower they have been waiting in. He had no doubts that the headmaster had picked the unusual place for their departure for the mysterious effect, rather than for safety and confidentiality reasons. "I honestly can't tell. You know the principal, he's always so unpredictable…" the young teacher trailed off when he heard energetic steps echo in the hall.

"Finally. Annoying demon, making us all wait like that…" Shura mumbled, her arms folded meaningfully in front of her. She hated waiting, even if the person happened to be the headmaster. Or maybe especially because of it… Thea recognized the sound of approaching steps, but she did not dare look _his_ way. Not when her heart started beating like crazy. This was the first time she got to meet Mephisto at the Academy grounds since they had started dating _._ She bit her lip nervously and shifted in place. _"Calm down, calm down. Just act normally. Remember, at the Academy, he is your headmaster."_ she reminded herself of their agreement to keep their personal relationship private, and kind of secret. _"Oh God… Should I greet him first? Should I still call him 'Sir Pheles'? Yes, of course, I should. That would make sense. Dammit! What am I so nervous about? It's OK. You can do this, Thea. Just act normally. Let him greet everyone first, then just join in. That's right. Just be cool."_ the blonde decided and focused on Rin who was standing right next to her and acted as if she hadn't noticed the headmaster coming yet. "Ah, Sir Pheles." Yukio stood up properly and approached him. "We've been waiting for you, Sir. Everything is…" Yukio was slightly taken aback when the headmaster completely ignored him. The demon's trademark white cloak flashed past him as he took a straight path towards Thea, then scooped up the unsuspecting blonde and put a kiss on her lips. "Thea, my dearest." Mephisto said with a triumphant smile, then put his left arm around her torso, pulling her closer. "Hello everyone. ~" he grinned in his usual nonchalant demeanor.

Silence. A stunned, astonished silence. For approximately five seconds which seemed to last for minutes, one could hear a pin drop in the whole corridor. "WHAT?!" a collective exclamation finally tore through that maddening silence. "M-Mephisto?!" the blonde with cheeks flushed red as never before stuttered, her eyes wide, her mind trying to process the turn of events. "What the hell?!" Rin stepped out completely abashed and started waving his (for the time being) sheathed sword at the headmaster. "I'm friggin' gonna kill ya! Let go of her, ya old creep!" Shura gritted through her teeth in amok and rolled up the sleeves of her jacket, threatening the demon with a fist while Yukio desperately tried to hold the woman in place. However, the demon ignored them completely, his full attention directed towards the absolutely charming, surprised blonde in his arms. _"Na endlich! You are not the only one full of surprises, you know?"_ The Lord of Time grinned inwardly, victoriously. "I… But… What about the agreement? I thought that… at the Academy… in front of the others, we…" Thea tried to formulate some coherent sentence but failed miserably. "The others?" the demon asked feigning a surprise, his hand on his chest. "My dear, this is the 'Cram School', and these are the Exwires. Why, we are like a family!" he grinned mischievously, fully enjoying the girl's abashed expression, ignoring the slightly charred fabric of his sleeve. He must have really thrown her off balance. Good. _"Seriously?! Wordplays again? He's such a… head-idiot-master-demon…"_ Thea giggled, her heart suddenly as light as a feather. Their agreement was completely reasonable, and she couldn't but agree to it. And yet, for some reason she felt delighted that he broke it and acknowledged their relationship in front of their 'almost family'.

"WHAT?!" came another collective cry, followed by a twitching eye here and mouth wide open there. "Is he being serious?" Izumo squeaked, holding onto Bon to steady herself while he just gaped with his hands buried in his hair. Konekomaru started polishing his glasses - either they were smudged, or his sight was failing, playing some ridiculous tricks on him. Shiemi chose not to look at all, then couldn't resist and peaked from behind her hands which were covering her beetroot-red face. "So, let me get this straight - _you two are a thing now_?!" Rin kept waving with his sword, unable to comprehend the series of events. "Bravo! ~ What was your first clue?" The headmaster shot him an amused, slightly mocking smirk, his fangs flashing. "But Sir… what about the Academy rules? Isn't dating the students against the Code?" came Yukio's voice of reason and significant concern as soon as Shura managed to rein in her temper. "Damn right it is!" Shura continued with her threats, but the demon just smirked self-importantly. "Oh, I have a perfect grasp of the Academy rules. After all, I have written most of them." the demon winked. "Could you perhaps refresh my memory and remind me what subsection 4, paragraph 7 of our Code of Conduct says?" Yukio adjusted his glasses and racked his brain for the exact wording of that section. "Teachers are forbidden to engage in romantic relationships with their students and…" "Indeed." Mephisto interrupted him with a smug grin. "It says _teachers_." he raised his finger meaningfully, then continued. "It does not say _anything_ about the _headmaster._ And although I sometimes choose to give lessons, nowhere in my contract is specified that I am also a teacher at the Academy. So you see, I am just a mere principal, at your service." he said lightheartedly, then put a hand on Yukio's shoulder, pinning him with a doom-promising look hidden by his nonchalant mask and whispered. "So hands off, _teacher_." A shiver ran down the teacher's spine after hearing the silent threat. _"This is ridiculous! But he obviously means it. God, he means it! And he sends me to train her?! One slip, one mistake… Man, I sure hope the fiasco of that camping night will not repeat itself, or I am finished, I just know it…"_ Yukio started panicking.

"Shhh, Thea…" Rin pulled at Thea's arm, urgency in his voice. "Have you baked those crazy muffins again?" "Huh? Crazy muffins?" the blonde eyed her friend, confusion written all over her face. "Thea, it's cool. Just tell me. If it's the muffins, maybe you just snapped again…" Blinking away the confusion, the girl still couldn't phantom what Rin's been talking about, so she just waved her hands in front of her defensively, trying to calm the situation down. "Guys, guys, stop it. It's fine. Mephisto is telling the truth. We, uhm… we really are… dating. And… and I really should be going now." she looked at the demon with slightly flushed cheeks, smiling. Another moment of stunned silence passed as everyone got the chance to witness their headmaster's fond smile he returned. "And right you are, my dear. Very well - everyone, please step aside." The demon spread his arms theatrically, then cleared his throat and recited his incantation. "Ein~Zwei~Drei!" A huge gothic door suddenly manifested itself out of the thin air in the middle of the corridor, pulsing with purple, golden and black hues. A pattern which resembled a clockwork adorned it's surface. Then, the Lord of Time pulled out a key from the chain on his neck, inserted it into the keyhole and turned it to open. The clockwork sprung to life, cog wheels of various sizes started turning and moving the whole mechanism until the hour hands stopped at twelve. The door opened with a sound of bells announcing midnight, revealing a strange violet mist. Behind it, a barren land outstretched for as far as they could see.

"It's a portal!" Izumo suddenly gasped, trying to take a better look. "Indeed, Miss Kamiki." the headmaster nodded in satisfaction. "Where does it lead to, though?" Konekomaru asked, eager to learn as much as possible from the short demonstration. "To another dimension. Or so you could say." the demon grinned mysteriously, making it fairly clear that no more questions would be answered on that matter. "So, that's why I couldn't find this place in the True Cross Academy map. You need to open it first…" Thea peered through the mist obscuring her view, trying to moderate her heartbeat. "Correct. Now then, Mr. Okumura, if you please." the demon gestured towards the entrance. Yukio nodded, flung the huge cargo-bag with various supplies on his shoulder and approached the portal. "All right. We will return in four days. Until then, you all remain under the supervision of Mrs. Kirigakure." he shot a meaningful glance towards the sparsely-clothed teacher. "Yeah, yeah, no worries. I'll make sure they'll get some serious training, too." she waved him off, already looking forward to seeing the Exwires' progress. Yukio nodded, then vanished with a flash of light, appearing on the other side. He was covering his eyes because a strong wind was blowing there, mixing with dust and sandy earth. "Well, I'll be off. Thank you for coming and seeing me off." Thea smiled and waved, slowly approaching the portal. A hand suddenly took hold of her arm. "Thea." Mephisto said, then kissed her hand courtly. "Take care, my dear. Viel Glück." "Danke, Mephisto." the blonde smiled, completely encouraged, then took a deep breath and followed Yukio through the mists. The demon closed the huge door with a flick of his wrists, locked it and let it disappear into the thin air. "Well then, you heard your teacher. Please follow Mrs. Kirigakure and resume your studies. See you around. ~" the headmaster tipped his hat, then simply walked off, his snow-white cloak rustling behind him.

"What… what just happened?" Bon scratched his head in disbelief. "Do you think it's really the truth? Are those two…?" Konekomaru asked, but found himself unable to finish the sentence, so he just ended up gesturing with his hands awkwardly in the air. "I mean, yeah, Thea is like twenty-five or something, but I always thought about her like one of us… but she is already an adult, ain't she?" he adjusted his glasses. "Well, if they _are_ dating, then I know one thing for sure… Thea is one brave girl." Rin gulped, pursing his lips in a strange combination of nervousness but also admiration. Izumo snorted, shooting the half-demon a displeased look. "Brave?! More like crazy… I mean, what on Earth is she thinking?!" A tiny, shy voice answered. "I think… I think it's quite romantic." "Shiemi?!" The group looked at their classmate whose cheeks were flushed and eyes dreamy. "That's enough, ya brats. Let's go! You've still got hella work to do on the sealing techniques I taught you last week." Shura ordered the students before they could start yet another discussion on that topic, while she thundered furiously inside. _"Damn… Just what game is that annoying demon playing?! Aaargh… so irritating!"_

OoO

"That was quite a show, Sir. What a passionate soul you are! I'm touched." the secretary praised with a hand on his chest as he joined his flamboyant master on his way to his office. "I'm passionate about many things, Gin. About the investigation you are supposed to be running for me, for example. And yet, you waste your time here…" the headmaster remarked flatly, pinning his spy with a questioning look. The spy almost burst out with laughter - his master could be _so touchy_ when it came to his lady. _"All those years in his services and it would seem I have not seen all of him just yet. Tsk… women…"_ Gin shook his head in amusement and continued with a smile on his lips. "Why, that _was_ a part of the investigation, of course." "Oh? Care to elaborate?" "I took the liberty of sending out my little servants to keep an eye on anything suspicious your lady might do or try." the secretary said with an air of achievement. "Ah, so you managed to slip your scarabaei through the gate during all that commotion. Clever." Mephisto nodded approvingly, his lips curling up.

"Speaking about 'commotion' - you might have stirred the waters significantly by revealing your relationship to the girl, Samael. Once the spies learn about it, the other parties are bound to act…" Surprisingly, the headmaster just shrugged and brushed it all off with a single reasoning. "They would learn eventually. The more I would try to hide it, the more interested they would be when they do find out. I am in a much better position when _I_ have the control over the information that gets out to the public." the headmaster explained. _"Besides, there are already too many people in Thea's life who try to keep her very existence a secret. I_ refuse _to be one of them."_ Adamant resolve burned in his eyes as he mentally added the other reason for revealing the nature of their relationship. "Calculating as always." Gin chuckled, then continued. "I agree completely. However - and I know you do not favor this particular scenario - what if she truly turns out to be a spy? Or perhaps an assassin?" An annoyed grimace appeared on Mephisto's face. "If that hypothesis proves to be correct, then it is all the better I now present her as my lady. It will make the spotlight-environment much more difficult for her to maneuver in."

"And how does the sudden concentration training fit into all of this?" Gin inquired carefully. "Oh, it fits just perfectly. If she is a spy hiding her abilities, then we need a controlled environment to find out. A place where she can be pushed to her limits. A place where she might let her charade slip due to the dangers. _Or_ perhaps a place where she feels she _does not need_ to restrain her powers all the time because nobody is looking too closely…" came a well-thought-out explanation. "Well, if that's the case, then rest assured that my scarabaei will be there to witness any unusual events." Gin assured, silently thankful that his master did not disregard the theory after all, despite how obviously unpleasant the idea was for him. Then, a thought came to his mind. "And what if she is no spy?" Mephisto stopped in his traces, ran his fingers through his hair and smiled genuinely. "Then she hopefully learns to protect herself better. Those skills might come in handy, especially if she is indeed being targeted by someone…" _"... or if she is dating me, which is dangerous enough…"_ The Lord of Time mentally added the other reason again.

OoO

"As I said, Rin's training is progressing and he's gradually learning to control his flames." "Thank you, Mrs. Kirigakure. Is there anything else we should know about?" an authoritative voice echoed in the large oval hall positioned in a huge tower structure. A voice that belonged to one of the three figures sitting at pedestals high above her with their faces obscured by ceremonial, ornamented cloths. "Nothing I could think of at the moment, really…" Shura scratched her head. The truth was, she just wanted to be finally done with the report and head off home. It almost seemed that her regular reports to the Vatican have become longer and longer with her every visit. Also, there was no telling what seemingly insignificant piece of information turned out to be of importance to the authorities. "Well, it's more of a gossip, really, … The principal of the Academy is currently engaged in some strange 'romantic' relationship with one of the students." She did not expect the Grigori to stir nervously in their places, inquiring after the name of said student. "It's Althea Heilbrunn. She is also one of the individuals whose personal files had gone missing during the invasion incident I mentioned during my last report." Shura explained, but to her surprise - no, _astonishment_ \- her words faded in the sound of gasps and sudden murmur.

"No way!" she heard one of the Grigori breathe out. "So, the demon has been aware of the prophecy, after all…" a concerned conclusion reached her ears. "He must be - that is probably the reason for why he deceived the girl in the first place." another voice confirmed the assumption. "Then we might need to act sooner than we have thought." the third member of the Grigori assembly said with a hint of panic. Panic! "Excuse me…" Shura cleared her throat, confused by the whole turn of events. "...what are you talking about? What prophecy? Is there something _I_ should know regarding my mission?" "No, child. You may return to your mission. We need to discuss matters of importance right now." came a sudden dismissal. "But… wait a moment, what is going on here?" the Exorcist pushed with the last remains of her politeness and composure. "Mrs. Kirigakure, this is a matter exceeding your rank. Now, return to your mission. Keep a close eye on the Son of Satan and keep us posted about his progress." The red-haired woman almost exploded, but she managed to rein in her temper and moderate her tone to a formal one. "With all due respect, I am a member of the _Angelic Legion_. Surely I can…" A loud voice reverberated the hall, carrying a hint of threat. "That is enough, Mrs. Kirigakure. You will not question our decision on this matter. You are dismissed." Bowing low, Shura scurried off the place. _"What on Earth is going on?! The Grigori… they looked almost… worried. And what was with that strange question? It's almost like they didn't care for that stupid demon dating his students, but for him dating_ Thea _. It's true that she joined the Academy under very strange circumstances… But what could Mephisto possibly gain by… deceiving her? And there's a prophecy now, too?"_ Shura massaged her head in frustration. _"Dammit all! What the hell is going on?! What game are you playing, you scheming demon?"_ she thundered inwardly, irritated by the fact that she was kept in the dark about all of this. She was missing something. Well, no matter. After all, she was a spy. She would find the answers for herself in the end.

OoO

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**Disclaimer:** Blue Exorcists belongs to Kazue Katō. Please, do not re-post or publish my story without my consent.

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**Author's note:** Another chapter of my FF is finally here! Thank you again very much for all the views, favs and comments - I am always so surprised to see how many of you are reading my work ^^ Recently, I received some messages which lead me to write this note: Although this is a FF and in essence a romantic story, in no way does it end just by Mephisto and Thea simply falling in love (and into each other's arms). **The story has a much deeper plot that is just starting to unfold :)** The story is also fully finished in my head, so I know where I want it to go and how it ends. I just need to work out a few details and put it on paper - so to speak. Having said that, nothing is carved in stone and I would be very happy if you reach out to me with your comments, suggestions or feedback. Well, thank you for your patience and stay tuned! There is a lot more to look forward to :)


	17. Beasts magnificent or woolly are loved truly

"You sure took my suggestion to include other teachers in Thea's training to the heart. Still, seven of them? That is quite a lot, isn't it?" Mephisto arched an eyebrow questioningly at the two teachers who had just arrived in his office to report on the training outcomes. Barely four days had passed for the demon, but in the training area no. 12, his carefully crafted special training environment, it had already been a whole month and the training session ended. "Well, once my colleagues learned that the training was taking place in another dimension, they actually jumped at the opportunity…" Yukio answered, then added carefully. "... also, I could use their expertise and consultancy regarding various exercises." "Gee, why can't you just cut to the case?" Shura rolled her eyes, snorting loudly. "You needed our help, 'cuz that girl's like a friggin' squirrel on caffeine!" she blurted out, gesturing in a most demonstrative way. The young teacher pinned her with an annoyed look and folded his arms. "I thought we were going down with the comparison to a cell phone's battery you are trying to deplete only to realize it has been plugged into a charger all along…"

The principal almost burst out with laughter. _"My, my… I tasked Yukio with pushing Thea to her limits, or better, pushing her until he discovered her limits - and yet, having gone through the detailed report, it seems to me more like Thea was the one pushing Yukio's limits. Or rather, the limits of half the teacher staff…"_ the demon mused with a wide grin on his face, then simply shrugged. "Is that truly so surprising? After all, healing and regeneration are her specialty, are they not?" "Yeah, regeneration my ass! She completely…" the red-haired exorcist burst out but was swiftly interrupted by her young colleague. "What Shura is trying to say _so tactfully_ is - Miss Heilbrunn's durability is truly remarkable." Yukio said in a composed, professional tone. "No matter how hard or long we pushed her, no matter how exhausted she was at the end of the day, she would always be as good as new next morning. Any minor injuries she had happened to suffer, even the fatigue, were just completely gone. That is why we… ah, that's why we ended up taking shifts training her." the teacher admitted a tad reluctantly.

"Well noted, Mr. Okumura." Mephisto nodded and moved on to the next point he planned to address. "Speaking about 'regeneration' - I already know the reason why _you_ took a day off, but why did you need to take a sick day as well, Mrs. Kirigakure?" Shura's cheeks took on a deep red shade, then she eyed her colleague. "Wait, four-eyes took a sick day? I thought you had some important business to take care off when you asked for volunteers to back you up." Yukio's eyebrows twitched in irritation and Mephisto grinned even wider. "I had a… an upset stomach, OK? Nothing serious, so just drop it." the teacher gritted out while silently thundering inside. _"As if I could tell in front of that lunatic it was food poisoning from Thea's cooking! I should have known better after that camping incident than to eat anything she prepared… Tsk… The last time I even_ suggested _that her cooking was to blame, he completely disregarded the possibility, claiming that Thea's cooking was 'heavenly delicious'… How can he eat it?! Well, one thing's for sure - her lessons in poisons are covered, she just has to invite all her enemies over and prepare a nice dinner for them…"_

"Huh? Upset stomach?" Shura regarded Yukio questioningly, interrupting his thoughts. He just whispered silently. "Thea cooked. Could not say no…" The moment the red-haired teacher heard the self-explanatory reason, she swiftly joined in. "Ah, yeah… I too had an upset stomach. Reeeeally badly. It was the day when Thea cooked for me and let me tell ya' - in the kitchen, that girl's a huuuuge disasteeeeouch!" she hissed when she felt Yukio's foot pressed on hers, a warning look in his eyes. "I have no idea what you are talking about." Mephisto cut in with a smooth but particularly annoyed voice. "In fact, Mr. Okumura, shortly before you left through the portal, Thea had actually gone through the trouble to prepare her special Spaghetti Quattro Stagioni for you. And 'let me tell ya' - they were just delicious." the demon eyed them both with a smile that conveyed a very clear message about his thoughts regarding Thea's cooking genius and anyone who dared to question it. _"She made dinner just after I left? What an act of providence! Saved in the last second…"_ Yukio silently thanked whatever deity was watching over him for sparing him the terrible fate.

"Very well, moving on." Mephisto said almost cheerfully as he moved through some of the pages in the report. "Mr. Okumura, I see you managed to cover the basics of gun handling, correct?" "Yes, I tutored her on handguns and revolvers for short range combat, and Mr. Kaoru was kind enough to cover the two-handed weapons and long-range combat." the teacher confirmed. "Yes, yes. Mr. Kaoru left here a note pointing out that she seems to have talent for those, and so he strongly recommends equipping her with sniper or scout rifles. Why is that I wonder?" "Well, for starters, she has a surprisingly keen sight and firm hands - a perfect combination for both the Doctor and Dragoon mastery. She rarely missed when we practiced at the shooting range and she even managed to shoot down targets which were five, sometimes even six hundred meters far away from her." The headmaster's brows furrowed in thought as he tried to judge the distance. "That still seems like an accomplishable distance to me." "Yeah, 'cuz what Yukio's forgetting to tell ya' is that she shot those damn targets _without a scope_." Shura cut in and surprisingly, Yukio just nodded enthusiastically, lifted a finger, and started explaining. "Mr. Kaoru was just about to fetch the scope for her, when she said that she could see the target fairly well. And so, we just did a quick calculation and adjusted the iron sights for her. One bullseye after another… it was quite exciting to watch." the young teacher kept rubbing his chin, nodding in appreciation while Mephisto's mind weighed the option of Thea being a skilled sniper-assassin, after all. He swiftly shook off that idea, though. Why would an assassin who specializes in long range kills try to get close to him in the first place? Nonsense.

"Interesting. However, it seems to be in direct contradiction with Mr. Yunokawa's report - he thinks that she could definitely use more practice due to her _lack_ of precision and agility." "Aaah, no, that's actually correct." Shura stepped in. "You see, she did well at the shooting range, handled her guns safely, eagle-eye, bullseye and all that useless Dragoon crap, but as soon as we were out in the field, she was kinda… clumsy. That girl _really_ needs to learn how to multitask. But no worries, I took personal care of that." The red-haired woman cut such a devilish smile that it could almost compete with the headmaster's own. Yukio grimaced, remembering that tad unsettling sight of Shura's 'training methods'. "I am all ears, Mrs. Kirigakure." the demon prompted, leaning forward keenly. "Oooh, you know, I've got my good old and trusty ways… the important thing is that the girl's finally a little more useful on the field." Yukio just sighed and started explaining before the headmaster could ask for more details. "Miss Heilbrunn struggled with shooting the moving targets, and also with shooting while moving around or taking cover. She simply lacked the necessary coordination and dexterity. Nothing a regular training couldn't fix. Mrs. Kirigakure thought it a good idea to let the girl practice by direct confrontation - she kept attacking with the sword while making Miss Heilbrunn dodge and reload her guns or switch her guns in the process. Once Thea seemed to get a grip of it, we set her to shoot at some lesser demons we set to attack her in swarms. Then, we advanced, and had also some harpies attack her" Yukio wrapped up smoothly, only for Shura to completely destroy the impression by blurting out another unnecessary piece of information. "Yeaaaah, she was toootaly wrecked after all of that. Remember?" she poked Yukio into his ribs and laughed, holding her stomach. "You should have seen her, she barely made it to the stairs." Shura kept giggling, then noticed the sour expression on the headmaster's face. "Gee, cool it, OK? You told us to push her limits, so we did just that. But damn, she was as good as new in the morning, remember?"

"Indeed." Mephisto noted dryly, moving on to the next part. "Trapping, hunting and, oh, diving?" he arched an eyebrow. "Yes Sir, she took to trapping and hunting really well. And as for diving, it was… an improvised lesson. Miss Heilbrunn somehow managed to drop one of my guns into the lake, so we went diving and searching for it. I took it as an opportunity to teach her some survival techniques in the water - what to do when one gets caught in a whirlpool or gets a cramp in the leg and the like…" "That's right." came a nod from Shura, who put an arm around Yukio's neck and grinned like a five-year-old. "We had to dive the whole day, 'cuz the teach' is overprotective of his little gun-babies." "Hey, cut it! I would love to see your reaction if it was your sword which ended up on the bottom of a lake! Besides, that was a Heckler & Koch P30 model in 40 Smith & Wesson calibre with compensator, custom-tuned SA/DA mechanism _and_ Truglo sights I managed to acquire just two months ago." "Yeaaaah, just what I was saying… In any case, the gun was saved, and we had a blast in the water, swimming and fooling around a little. Aaaah, I finally got to use my new swimsuit, too. And, turns out Thea can shoot short-range, after all. At least with a water gun…" the teacher kept laughing, completely unaware of the strange staring contest between her colleague and the demon. Mephisto's eyes kept raining thunderbolts at Yukio, who, once again, saw Thea in bikinis sooner than he, while Yukio kept looking Mephisto right in the eye, hoping that it would somehow convey the honesty behind his intentions and actions. "Well, it's good to have fun once in a while." Mephisto smiled pleasantly. "As long as you remember the rules…" "Perfectly, Sir." Yukio answered, standing as straight and professionally looking as he could.

"Splendid." the headmaster's lips curled up revealing his fangs, then he casually listed through the report again. "Now, it looks like you also turned your focus to potions and poisons. No questions on my side here… However, … Yes, here, day twenty-three - you and Mrs. Yagami tutored her in advanced healing techniques. According to Mrs. Yagami's report, Thea seems to have a talent for healing techniques in general. However, right on the next page, she mentioned that when you moved on to the _power waves_ technique, Thea seemed to really struggle with it. I find that quite confusing, especially because I assumed that healing waves, despite it being the most advanced technique, would be her opportunity to shine… Could you please elaborate?" the headmaster eyed Yukio questioningly, eager to learn more behind the peculiar turn of events. "Certainly, Sir." the young teacher cleared his throat. "First of all, Miss Heilbrunn truly excels at CPR, diagnosing, and at treating wounds and illnesses. However, as you surely know, power waves work on a completely different level - a level of a true prodigy Doctor Meister… Direct usage of the waves - without incantations, potions and poisons or familiars - is a very _rare_ ability. Even now, there is no teacher at our Academy who is actually capable of using those. That is why I and Mrs. Yagami only explained the technique in theory…" Yukio reported, remembering the lesson.

OoO

"The Doctor Meister who wants to learn this technique has to be able to perfectly, precisely, and timely shape, adjust and change the waves he or she is emitting at the moment. So you see, in order to use this technique, there are three important conditions an individual has to meet." Mrs. Yagami lifted a finger, looking at the young blonde meaningfully. "First, the individual needs to wield enough power to even attempt the technique. Since one is not using any incantations, potions or familiars who would provide the power surge, the individual needs to compensate for it with his or her own energy. Second, the individual needs to understand the workings of a body perfectly. I believe that medicine studies should provide a very solid ground for that." the teacher lifted another finger, counting out. "And third, the individual has to be born with the talent to master this technique. Think about it as kind of a qualification, much as when you want to apply for the Tamer mastery - you either can or cannot summon a demon, there is no work-around, no way to learn it." Thea nodded eagerly, suddenly feeling herself really fortunate and grateful for her apparently rare abilities. "All this means that this technique is hard to master and very energy demanding, with even the most accomplished Meisters usually being able to heal only minor injuries or fractures. As for you, well… you might be somewhere in the average at the moment. Mostly though, I would suggest sparing your energy and use it in a different way rather than depleting it by using this technique on some minor treatment on the field." Mrs. Yagami wrapped up, causing Thea's brows furrow in puzzlement. _"Minor treatment? So what I did until now… was minor? Only some beginner's level? That does not seem right…"_ she sulked a little, then tried to redirect her thoughts to a more positive direction. _"Still, if this is minor, I could probably learn more and do better with some time and training. Yes, I'll just do my best as always!"_ Thea smiled inwardly, maintaining a positive attitude.

"I see, thank you for the explanation. So, what exactly will I be able to heal with this technique, then?" the blonde inquired and this time, Yukio took over. "Things like altering the bloodstream flow, contractions of a muscle, neural impulses and many others…" "Hmmm… that seems quite… well, it's not much at all. How about mending fractures or damaged organs?" Thea inquired further and Yukio just chuckled. "Only some particularly skilled Doctor Meisters can accomplish such a feat, Miss Heilbrunn. I and Mrs. Yagami are some of the most skilled Doctors at our Academy, but unfortunately, the only two teachers who could actually _teach_ you this technique are not present here - one is residing in the Vatican base, the other is on a secret mission somewhere." "Indeed." the female teacher confirmed. "The energy and time necessary to perform the operations Mr. Okumura just mentioned are simply too precious to 'waste' on wounds which could be healed just as well and much easier with the usual medical equipment or elixirs" Thea tapped her finger on her lips. The procedures the teachers mentioned did not seem too complicated to her. After all, she worked with those on a daily basis - restoring blood cells or correcting blood pressure of some of the patients… Was she perhaps missing something? She dared a question.

"Well, what about the time I healed Mephisto's burns? That was certainly quicker than applying balms and bandages…" Yukio adjusted his glasses and nodded. "Ah yes, Sir Pheles mentioned that you healed some of his burns." he said thoughtfully, silently imagining some little 'ouchie' on the demon's hand where Thea's aura burnt him - honestly, the headmaster could be such a drama queen sometimes… "Well, you might have managed _that_ , but healing with waves requires too much time and energy. And I assume that you did not heal the burnt skin instantly, and you went straight to bed afterwards…" Yukio arched an eyebrow and Thea thought about the night when Mephisto had surprised her in her own dorm room. Yukio was right, she had not healed all the wounds instantly, she had to check each one of them just in case, which had definitely taken some two or three minutes. "You are right, I didn't do it in an instant." she admitted. "Then… what about the time when I healed Rin's wound after he had been stung during the attack at the Tokyo University hospital?" Thea tried again - surely _that_ had to count. Mrs. Yagami smiled, remembering the reports from the attack. The young Rin Okumura had mentioned that he had been stung by a demon locust and the girl had closed the wound, although she had been unable to heal the venom. And so, Rin had ended up feeling sick and nauseous - much as Miss Izumo Kamiki - until her own team of Doctors applied the necessary antidote. "Yes, yes." she waved her hand dismissively. "Still, a plaster and the right antidote would have been much more useful, especially when you need the time and flexibility, not to mention energy for yourself." Thea blinked in confusion. _"But… there was a_ hole _in Rin's chest… And I healed him and… Damn, and there I was so proud of myself, too…"_ The blonde was so ashamed for thinking herself quite skilled in healing, that after hearing the teachers' words, she didn't even dare ask questions about healing deathly illnesses or neural problems. She simply thanked the teachers for their time and help with the topic and focused on her next exercises.

OoO

"Considering her Doctor Mastery, she is already more knowledgeable and skilled at healing humans than me, probably thanks to her university studies. She picks up demon anatomy quickly enough, being very familiar with human anatomy. I believe she will be a full-fledged Doctor Meister in a few months. Regarding the healing wave technique, Thea suggested she has a talent and can heal some minor injuries using a wave, as long as she understands it and can heal it as an ordinary doctor. As I myself am a novice in this area at best, we did not pursue that path any further, though." "I see." Mephisto stroked his beard in thought and yet again, couldn't help but feel a little disappointed - he had - for some subconscious reason, really expected more. Then, an idea came to his mind. "And what about the opposite power wave? The maleficent wave? Any luck in that area?" the demon questioned eagerly, and Yukio just shook his head in denial. "We did, of course, explain both aspects of the power waves - the healing one and the maleficent one. We explained that technically, the prodigy Meister Doctor might be able to, say, cause a heart attack just as easily as make the heart beat again after one, as they are in essence the same actions, only reversed. However, Miss Heilbrunn seemed to struggle with that idea morally. I think I understand her reservations… After all, she is an aspiring doctor and joined the Academy in order to master her _healing_ abilities, not to kill the demons around her… And even though she decided for a Dragoon mastery now, it would appear that using a gun against her enemies feels different than turning her own healing powers against them…" "Yeah, in other words, your lil' future doctor is actually a big softie…" Shura grinned, her eyes twinkling. "Thank you both for the explanation. I believe I have covered all points of interest. Is there anything else you would like to point out or discuss in more detail?" the headmaster asked, but received a negative response, so he finally dismissed both teachers.

OoO

"Soooo, an upset stomach, huh?" the red-haired teacher grinned and poked her colleague in the cheek as they were walking through the corridor, leaving the principal's office. "I can't believe you ate her cooking! You are one brave four-eyed chicken!" Yukio just exhaled and pushed Shura away from his private space. "Just drop it, OK? Damn, I seriously need to catch up on some sleep." he added with a yawn, rubbing his eyes and cleaning his glasses with his sleeve. However, Shura couldn't help but tease him. "Do you have some kind of a death wish? Or maybeeee… Ya' have a crush on that girl or somethin'?" she teased him half-seriously, only to find herself pushed to the wall with a Yukio's hand clasped over her mouth. "Sssssh! Shut up, idiot! Do you want that demon to overhear?! Do you not realize how ridiculously overprotective he gets around her? As if this month wasn't enough, dammit…" Yukio exhaled, then slowly put his hand away from Shura's mouth and surprisingly, rested his head on her shoulder instead. "I'm sorry." he said. "It's just that… I feel so exhausted. I had to walk on eggshells around her all this time, so that lunatic couldn't get any weird ideas. I mean, she is a great girl and I consider her a friend, but she is of absolutely no romantic interest to me. Honestly, I don't even have time for such foolishness right now…" Shura's cheeks took on a deep red shade and her heart started beating loudly after hearing those words - he was obviously as honest as he was exhausted. She couldn't help but exhale, too, feeling some imaginary, yet very real weight off her heart.

"Sheeesh, OK, OK, I'll give it a rest." she said, but before she could do anything else, Yukio fixed her with a firm gaze and smirked. "And what about you? I'll give you credit, you played it well in front of the headmaster, but you cannot fool _me_." "Huh?!" Shura cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Oooh, don't play all innocent with me. I'm certain that you had no food poisoning when you asked for your day off. Well, what happened?" "Tsk… get yer' face off me, will ya'?" she put her hand over the teacher's face and pushed him away, but he seemed really persistent about finding out the real reason for Shura's absence from the training. Maybe she could use this opportunity though… "If you must know, we drank that night." She would have never admitted such a thing, not to mention in front of Yukio of all people. However, she hoped to find out a little more for herself. "Shura, are you serious?! Drinking on a duty?! With a student, nonetheless?!" he instantly scolded. "Oh, please, we are both adults. 'Twas a girl's night - aaaah, you wouldn't get it. We got all cozy in pajamas and sat on her bed in front of the fireplace, we chatted and drank a little… But man, that girl sure can handle her liquor… Seems like it's only me who ended up drunk, hihi. Strange. I just couldn't get her drunk, no matter how much we had of those strange 'cocktails' of hers…" she shook her head. "Strange?! That's all you have to say for yourself? Oh God, I'm just glad that nobody found out…" Yukio shook his head in disapproval, then Shura finally asked.

"Yes, it _was_ strange, considering my proficiency at liquor-handling, shall we say?" Shura's grin was met with Yukio's flat stare, but she just continued. "Sooo, any _strange_ experiences on your side?" the red-haired woman eyed her colleague curiously. Yukio just regarded Shura with a disapproving and also a little confused look. "What do you mean by 'strange experiences'? We've just reported everything back there in the headmaster's office. If you ask me, there's nothing strange about her - except her taste in men perhaps…" he shivered, and the red-haired teacher shrugged innocently. "Hey, I'm just asking…" she threw up her hands defensively and Yukio frowned. "Well, I did not drink with her, nor did I do anything even _slightly_ inappropriate if that's what you ask. Now, can we drop this already? I could really use some sleep right now." "Sure, sure." Shura patted him on the back sympathetically, while her mind kept racing. _"This is really bad. A whole month of training and keeping an eye on that girl… and I still haven't uncovered the reason for why the Grigori would be so interested in her… It just doesn't make sense. That does it, I have to do better. I have to learn the truth!"_ the teacher decided with an adamant resolve. And while she was silently enjoying the time with her uptight, four-eyed, and unfortunately, fun-averse colleague, her mind returned back to the strange 'girl's night'.

OoO

"Iiiiiiiii don't get it…" Shura said with a slightly drunk voice after all the drinks she had already had. They had been sitting in Thea's hut, chatting in front of the warm fireplace while a snowstorm kept raging outside. The training area no. 12 sure was something. It held just about any landscape - from barren lands to snow-covered peaks. Sometimes, the weather changed in a matter of hours. Such a peculiar place, indeed. Warming up in front of crackling fire with some bottles of beer seemed to her like a perfect idea for a nice girl's night. Only, it seemed that drinking beer was not what Thea had in mind, so she had mixed some 'specialties' from the medical supplies and potions, combining them with ice cubes and various juices. Shura had to be careful not to end up wasted before she managed to pry at least some scraps of information from the girl. "Oh, it's easy really, we mix this one with the other med-students aaaaall the time. You just need to add the orange juice and some mint, so the mixture gets a nice fresh taste after you have warmed the liquor. Just do not make it boil or…" Thea continued enthusiastically, only to be interrupted by her already tipsy teacher.

"Nooo, I meant… What's going on between you and that old creep?" "Heeeey, he's not that old! He's creepy, alright, but in a very charming way…" Thea puffed up, then tapped a finger on her lips in thought, considering that she never really thought about his age. _"Well, why would I? What difference would it make if he were a hundred or a thousand years old, anyway? Both options are already well past any normal standard…"_ she shook her head and continued. "Ah, never mind… We are, well, we are dating." "Dating, huh? And you really think it wise to date someone like him?" Shura regarded the blonde flatly while playing with the little glass containing the surprisingly tasty drink. "I… Well…" Thea's cheeks took on a pinkish shade. "...I know it's a little strange - him being my headmaster and all, but surely…" she scratched her head nervously, trying to explain their unlikely relationship, only to be interrupted by her tipsy teacher. "Headmaster?! I'm not talking about that, for God's sake… He's a friggin' demon, woman!" Shura waved with her glass, pointing it meaningfully at Thea. "Oh, that…" Thea giggled, once again surprised by her own reaction - she had truly disregarded the fact of Mephisto being a demon in the first place.

"Don't ya' 'oh that' me. Seriously, are you some kind of a masochist or just crazy?" Shura poked Thea in the ribs. "Well, I might be a liiiitle crazy - about him, that is." the blonde giggled, then blushed furiously at her bluntness - the alcohol sure made her talkative. "Riiiight." the teacher eyed her sideways, then asked. "Listen, has he cast a spell on you or something?" Shura shook her head and leaned on one hand. Surprisingly, the blonde chuckled at that. "That's ex-act-ly what he asked _me_. Pfff… could you believe it?" "No kiddin'." the red-haired teacher gaped, then tried again. "Sooo, is he threatening you, then?" she arched an eyebrow and Thea's eyes widened. "What? No! Of course not. He did no such thing… He's treating me reeeeally well, better than my previous dates, in fact. And they were _human_. At least I _think_ they were… I could have sworn that Gato might have actually been a troll or something…" Thea thought aloud, causing Shura to burst out with laughter. "Oh girl, you must have had some baaaad luck if that demon is actually your best experience so far…" Thea blushed nervously, then shrugged. "Say what you want, but he's… different. He's attentive, funny, and gallant. He's interesting to talk to. And I just… I really like to spend time with him." the blonde kept staring into the crackling fire while shades of orange and red played on her face.

"Is that why yer' with him?" the teacher took a drink and cast a curious eye on the girl. "Well, yeah. I mean, what other reason do you need?" Shura just shrugged at the question. "Dunno… there are many other, more plausible reasons." "Such aaaaas?" "Weeeell, ya' know, he's the super-rich headmaster of high social standing." "Oooh, come on, Shura! I'm better than that." Thea bumped into Shura's shoulder. "I've got some dignity, you know? Besides, I have my own plans and dreams, which also include a decent, well-paid job." "I know, I know, sorry. I was just curious. I actually thought that you might be trying to get some interesting deal out of him." the red-haired woman gulped down the shot and poured herself some more. "A deal you say… Well, I have already made some deals with him, but I never wanted to take advantage of him, if that's what concerns you." Thea said silently, then felt Shura's hand on her shoulder. "You made a deal with him _already_?!" "Well, yes. The first time we met, I asked him to spare my life in exchange for healing him. However, it seems that he never thought of harming me in the first place. On the contrary, as a thanks for my help, he offered his help to me, should I ever need it. And he actually kept his word and even saved my life." the blonde smiled warmly, wrapping her hands around her knees, then giggled. "The other deal cost me a cake. But that's cool, after all, I had baked it for him in the first place."

The teacher just stared in disbelief, then shook her head and laughed. "You are one strange girl, ya' know that?" Thea's face took on a flustered expression, then she pinned her teacher with an amused look and folded her hands in a feigned displeasure. "Well _you_ are the one to talk. How come you are suddenly so interested in Mephisto's love life, hmm? I thought it was Yukio you were after." she said, then instantly exploded with laughter when she saw Shura's abashed face. "What the… What are you babbling about?! Gee, I really must have pushed you today, when you are sprouting such nonsense. That four-eyed chicken? Pffff… please…" "Hihihi, you should have seen your face! Seriously though, do you think I'm blind or something?" Thea pushed, fully enjoying the reversed situation where she was the one asking questions for a change. "Oh, come ooon. I totally get you, you know? He's super smart, and guns can probably add to a man's sexappeal a bit, riiiight?" "Yeeeeah, and he can entertain a lady by quoting rules from the Academy's Code of Conduct from A to Z and back…" Shura cut in sourly. "So what? He's already a teacher, so it's not like you would end up dating your student. If you ask me, I think you would make a very nice couple…" "Y-you do?" Shura's eyes widened, then she swiftly collected herself. "I mean, cut the sugar-fluff!" she mumbled, and Thea grinned even more widely. "Yeah, I can toootally picture you two." the blonde started giggling, then Shura fixed her with a doom-promising stare. "Listen, if you ever speak about this to a living soul, not even that stupid demon of yours is gonna help ya', understood?!" "Well, my mouth is sealed… But just in case - we can have a few more drinks and then I doubt either of us will remember much of the conversation… Sooo, want some?" Thea grinned mischievously and picked up a bottle of sake, causing Shura's lips to curl up. "Thaaaat's my girl. Suuuuure."

OoO

The Lord of Time leaned into the chair, massaging his tired eyes. "Tell me you've got something more for me, Gin." he eyed the secretary, who had been quietly listening to the headmaster's conversation with the teachers. "I do…" the spy nodded. _"...but I'm not sure you are going to like it. Hell, if I only knew what to make of it myself…"_ he thought with unease and a hint of amusement, too - it's been some time since he had run such a troublesome investigation without any results to show. "What your staff reported corresponds with my findings, except for a few observations I would like to point out." "Well then, I am all ears." the headmaster intertwined his fingers in anticipation. "First of all, the statement that your charming little lady is like 'a friggin' squirrel on caffeine' would be an underestimation." the secretary quoted Shura with a smirk while Mephisto's eyebrows rose in surprise. "The teachers really did push her hard. Some days they exhausted her so much she could hardly walk without shaking."

"However, Mr. Okumura was right, Sir - she would always be just as new the next morning. My scarabaei kept monitoring her nighttime routines to find out the reason behind that peculiar occurrence and I was surprised to discover that after the whole day of training, she did not even sleep through the whole night. All in all, she slept somewhere between three to five hours." "What did she do for the rest of the time, then?" Mephisto questioned, his suspicion rising, his mind already spinning possible scenarios. He did not like any of them. Not at all. "Well, Miss Heilbrunn usually slept for two hours, then woke up for her regular night ride on the fridge - a habit you two apparently share." Gin grinned, noticing the slight blush on his master's face. "She ate and studied for her final exams, then took another nap and woke up only to eat again, then practiced some of the new techniques she had learnt that day. How she had any energy left for the training after all of that, I cannot phantom. Don't humans need about seven or eight hours of sound, undisturbed sleep?" Mephisto nodded slowly in thought. "They do… Perhaps her regenerative abilities compensate for it. Did you see her use any peculiar ability or means to restore herself?" "No, whenever she was injured or hurt, she always used incantations, potions or techniques the teachers had shown her. I've got the feeling that she was mostly doing it out of curiosity rather than necessity." "I see. She must have wanted to try the new techniques, to learn to use them right away." the demon lord smiled in amusement - Thea was such a hard-worker. Gin frowned - he had already learnt to recognize that slightly dreamy, fond expression of his master. And so, he had to play the unpleasant, nagging voice of reason again. " _Or_ she did her best not to use her _real powers_." the secretary pointed out, which earned him a particularly sour look from Mephisto. "Point taken." the lord exhaled and waved at the spy to continue his report.

"Honestly, Samael, something very strange is going on. This was supposed to be a special training to wear the girl down, to push her to the limits. From what I learnt from the reports, the students who had the chance to actually go through the exercises in area no. 12, they all took vacation to recover their strength right after that. Miss Heilbrunn stepped out looking energized, empowered and completely fresh while half of your staff ended up on sick leave or vacation. They pushed her hard but after a few days of tutoring her, they couldn't keep up with the pace, so they took turns. That's why I took the liberty of testing her myself." The headmaster lifted his head and held his breath. "And?" "I had my scarabaei attack her at night in her sleep, when she would have assumed that nobody was looking too closely. The moment she woke up, her aura spiked, and a powerful surge of brilliant light surrounded her and some of my familiars vanished within it." "Yes, a scorching light, wasn't it? Her aura alone can be quite… devastating." Mephisto filled in. "Indeed. They were gone in an instant." Gin nodded. "What about the rest of the attack? How did she fight? Did she cast her favorite binding circle? Any other techniques?" Surprisingly, the spy just folded his hands and looked out of the window, deep in thought. "There was no other attack, Samael. The rest of the scarabaei retreated the moment they felt her powers. Apparently, they did not dare to launch any further attacks…" he answered, a combination of displeasure and puzzlement visible on his face. "I see…" the headmaster stood up smoothly, joining Gin at the tall windows, then clapped his secretary on his shoulder sympathetically. "Well, if the surge was as strong as the night when _I_ had been trapped in her binding circle, then I am not surprised at all. Not to retreat would have been a suicide… hard to push your familiars to that." "That's not all, I am afraid." the spy continued in a troubled voice. "I am unable to summon my familiars - the ones she managed to get rid of. I tried yesterday and again today. Nothing. They should have been awoken by now, but they do not respond to my summons…" Mephisto's brows furrowed, then he quickly collected himself. "Fascinating. Keep trying and keep me posted about this, Gin. This might well be another clue, another piece of this puzzle." his eyes took on that familiar focused, predatory gleam.

"You find _that_ fascinating? Well then, you are up for a surprise, my lord because I was not done yet." "Oh? Anything else my teachers overlooked?" Mephisto stroked his beard, trying to suppress the rising curiosity. He couldn't remember the last time he had to rack his brain over one person so much. Even the Son of Satan suddenly seemed like a very straightforward matter to deal with in comparison. "You know that during one of her last exercises, the young Miss fought and killed an Oni-demon, right?" The Lord of Time nodded with a smirk, his fangs flashing. "Indeed. And I must say, I was quite impressed, considering their brutish strength and agility. She played it clever though - made a trap and fought from a distance, shooting down the creature." he rubbed his chin, pleased with the results. "And that's where the teachers were wrong. Miss Heilbrunn shot the Oni-demon perfectly from afar, true, but she hit only one of his hearts." "...But that would mean that he survived." A nod came together with a most unnerving answer. "Yes. I am not sure how far she was in demon anatomy that time, so it is possible that she was unaware of the three remaining hearts. That particular demon was extremely smart for one of their kind, though. He played her. He fell to the ground, feigning defeat, so when Thea came to collect the object she was supposed to retrieve - the wristband he wore - he attacked. You know from the reports that she is not very skilled in short-ranged combat with pistols, not to mention hand-to-hand combat." The Lord of Time gulped, the thought of his charming little lady trying to fight the terrible, brutish creature in a hand-to-hand combat sending shivers down his spine. Had he perhaps pushed her _too_ hard, put her to unnecessarily big danger? "How did she fare?" the demon lord asked carefully. "She showered him with bullets but missed vital spots entirely. She even managed to drop her gun on tactical reload and nearly tripped over it… In one moment, he lifted her up at her throat and the situation seemed quite dire. Then, the Oni fell to the ground, dead - for real." "How?" "She touched him. Three times. At the places where the rest of his hearts would be."

Samael's eyes widened, but before he could inquire any further, the office room began to tremble with his own demonic energy unleashed - only he was not unleashing any. And yet, there was no mistake, the energy was his own. The headmaster could suddenly hear his own voice. It sounded very foreign to him - baffled and enraged as never before. Two words sounded loudly: "THEA WHAT?!" Gin gasped and had to lean on the windows to keep himself from falling from the sheer pressure of his master's overwhelming aura suddenly emerging all around the room. The whole event passed before they even realized it started. "Sire… What just…" "A time disruption. An echo." The Lord of Time answered, his eyes closed in concentration, trying to get the feel of the remnants of the strange time paradox he had yet to cause… apparently, in the future. "It would appear that I will, for some reason, briefly but completely lose concentration and… drop the barrier I keep about my person. ...resulting in release of energy without direction. And… Thea seems to be involved." The secretary quickly collected himself - it's been some time since he had the opportunity to witness his master's raw power. "Well, what a surprise." he grinned, his words heavy with irony. The demon lord clasped his hands. "There is nothing I can do about it at the moment… It is a matter of the future. Gin. Rare and interesting as it may be, let us not dwell on it, it will do no good."

"...Did she truly not shoot any of his four hearts, but one?" Mephisto returned back to their original conversation, his expression troubled. "I wish she had, Sire. She used _it_. The maleficent wave." "That could have been a coincidence. Pure luck. She had just learnt about the technique, so she might have simply taken a shot." The secretary just shook his head and approached his lord with a skeptical look on his face. "True, it does not require much energy to stop a heart, but that is not the problem here. It is an extremely advanced technique - to use a wave in combat successfully requires absolute mastery of waves, perfect timing, and knowledge about the target. Also, _three_ times, Samael?! A coincidence? I don't think so. She either mastered that technique on the spot or she had clearly been a master already. And there are maybe five people I am aware of who could have done that." The spy said intensely, getting quite irritated inside. _"Why is he being so stubborn about this?! Since when does the Lord of Time refuse to see the most logical explanation?"_ "Don't you think that such an important piece of information would have appeared in the reports? My teachers were clearly instructed in overseeing her every exercise and training activity." Gin sighed, then finally said. "They were present, my lord. Mr. Kaoru oversaw this particular fight. However, the girl fought in the barren land that time, just when a sandstorm was picking up. Spirals of sand and dirt obscured the view. It was the perfect environment for my scarabaei, but definitely not for humans. The moment the teacher realized he couldn't get a proper look at the fight, he tried to close in on her, but before he found a better position, the fight was already over. The teacher found the girl lying on the ground, a little roughed-up and semi-conscious, the dead Oni-demon with a lot of misplaced bullet holes right next to her." he finished with a frown.

After a silent and strangely intense moment, the Lord of Time grinned widely, then addressed his spy with a most amused voice. "Why the long face, Gin?" "Do you want the examples chronologically or alphabetically?" the secretary gaped in disbelief, then ran his fingers through his hair in frustration while his master's grin widened even more - clearly, that _was_ still possible. _"Seriously… I should be interrogating her right now…"_ he thought as his frustration kept rising. "Oh, come now. Where is your sense of adventure? If you ask me - my charming lady has just become even more interesting." "The word you are looking for is 'dangerous'. And if not my report, then your _own_ voice from that time anomaly should be your wake-up call, Sir." the spy intoned meaningfully. "Ah, yes! Enticingly dangerous, indeed." Gin just rolled his eyes. "Wonderful… Just wonderful…" "And so wonderfully unpredictable, too." the demon lord entwined his fingers, his eyes practically burning with excitement. "Why do I have the feeling that I'm not making this better…" Gin clasped his hands and inhaled. "Sire, she could be a spy, an assassin, a demon hunter. Satan's Flames, Samael, I have so little intel on her I cannot even say she is a human for sure." came an exclamation. "All that is very well possible." his master nodded calmly. "However, even if that hypothesis proves to be true and she does mean me harm, I still have some time to win her over." his lips curved up revealing his fangs, the trademark hat casting particularly unnerving shadows on his face, obscuring everything except the gleaming forest-green eyes. _"He means it. He truly… Oh, by my Demon's Heart! He would probably try to bring her to our side even if she put a knife to his throat… There is no helping it, then. Once his mind is set, nothing will change…"_ Gin chuckled, then started laughing out loud. "Very well, Sir. I must admit that I myself am pretty curious about how all of this turns out. You can count on me, Samael. As always. You know I hate sending out resumes…" "Splendid. Now then, is there anything else you would like to report?"

Gin grinned inwardly at that question and started in a serious tone. "In fact, there is. Thank you for reminding me, Sir. I think you might be very interested in these two late-night activities of your charming lady." he held the headmaster's eyes knowingly. "You see, right on the first night, Miss Heilbrunn 'borrowed' poor tired Mr. Okumura's key and snuck out of the training area no. 12. I followed her, of course, only to discover that she wanted to spend her night with a certain Mr. Lee Wu." The spy made a pause, his sensitive ears picking up the sound of gritting teeth and of something popping - Samael has cracked his fingers. Gin couldn't ask for more. "And? _Has_ she spent the night?" the demon lord gritted out and for a moment there, the spy almost couldn't keep his poker face on. _"Satan's Flames, I'm winning myself a one-way ticket to Alaska for sure now… but it's sooooo worth it!"_ "She has. In fact, they spent _every_ night together." "Impossible." Mephisto hissed and stood up in a swift motion. "His profile, Gin. Who is that man?" The demon lord fixed the secretary, who couldn't help but gulp audibly as he saw Mephisto struggle with keeping his barrier in place. "According to my investigation, he has dark black eyes, curly hair and quite pleasant features. A little too bulky, perhaps, but…" "Gin." "Right, to the point. He is very popular with Miss Heilbrunn's friends and, oh, he seems to be working in a special night security service." the spy wrapped up, silently studying the headmaster's twitching eye and hands forming into fists.

"So, Mr. Lee Wu, is it? Lee Wu… Lee Wu… Wu Lee… Wu…" The Lord of Time suddenly stopped in his trails, his brows furrowed in intense thought. "Wait a moment… Not Mr. Wu Lee… Mr. Woolly! Giiin…" the lord swiftly closed the distance between him and his secretary, his eyes raining thunders on the poor spy, ten he said menacingly. "Are you, per any chance, describing Mr. Woolly? That fluffy creature, Thea's plush sheep companion?" "Ah, my bad. The pronunciation and rules of this language are still a little tricky for me." Gin grinned sheepishly, then burst out with laughter. Mephisto closed his eyes and let out a silent sigh, still quite befuddled by his own infuriation. Then, a devilish grin spread on his face. "My, my. That's interesting." he produced a piece of paper with a snap of his fingers. "A serious disturbance has just been reported in Anchorage, Alaska. I need to send an investigation team right away. Hope you are packed." Shivers ran down Gin's spine and he was honestly unsure whether it was due to his master's calm and cold smile, or simply the prospect of spending his mission in that earthly frozen version of hell. "Let us not be too hasty about that…" the secretary smiled and did his best to subdue his outburst, then fished out a piece of paper, handing it to the demon lord. "Here. A little something for your collection. You can add it to the photos from the camping night or your 'investigation' folder..." Mephisto regarded it curiously - the piece of paper was structured as one of Gin's usual personal profiles and included a detailed description of Mr. Woolly, including an attachment with photos of him and his sleeping lady. The demon covered his face with his hand, secretly melting inside. _"Unbelievable… Just how is she so cute?"_ he looked up at the secretary with a smirk. "Well, what do you know. The mission in Alaska has just been postponed." "Now that's an unexpectedly fortunate turn of events." The spy cleared his throat, relieved, and amused by his master's fond expression. "She literally left the training area on the first night before dawn, only to sneak into her dorm, get her sheep toy and take it to the hut with her, where she kept it on her bed. She did not leave afterwards, nor was she disturbed by a third party apart from… the other incident…" Gin trailed off secretively.

"The other incident? You mean the second interesting night activity you mentioned?" the demon inquired, then added swiftly. "I am warning you Gin - don't you start with another Mr. Woolly, Mr. Fluffy or anything similarly ridiculous." Mephisto said with an air which left no room for any further foolishness. Biting his lip, the secretary answered. "You can rest assured then, since my next report is actually about a _beast_." The Lord of Time perked up, his eyebrows rising. "A beast, you say?" "Indeed, Sir. To use Miss Heilbrunn's own words - a 'magnificent beast'." Despite Gin's excellent reflexes, he simply failed to avoid the stapler which came flying at him, hitting his head. And yet, he just stood there, holding his stomach from all the laughter while rubbing his head with the other hand. As he rubbed the bump on his head, though, he could feel a piece of paper sticking out of it, so he pulled it out with a hiss. "Why, look at that. Your workplace has just been changed. Please report to your new headquarters in Longyearbyen, Norway." the headmaster's lips curled up.

"Oh, come now, Samael…" Gin said, trying to wriggle the staple out while Mephisto noted with irritation in his voice. "Honestly… spying on such intimate moments… do you have no sense of privacy?" the lord kept shaking his head, an annoyed expression plastered on his face. "Prai-wa-see?" Gin rubbed his chin in feigned thought. "I speak forty-three languages, but I am unfamiliar with this specific term." "No need to worry, my friend. You will have plenty of time to go through the dictionary in your new quarters." The secretary's spirits were rarely so high, and despite his master's threats, the whole situation was simply too hilarious. _"Seriously, though. What did he expect? Of course I would have his back even during their sweet time together. After all, it wouldn't be the first time someone rammed a dagger into his back during mating…"_ the spy mused, then finally said. "Sir, please. I knew what was about to happen… It was your third date, after all. I just wanted to make sure it wouldn't be your last one, too." To Gin's surprise, his master blinked and fixed him with a confused look. "Wait. You _knew_ about this… tradition?" "But of course. I like to keep my knowledge in this particular area up-to-date." the spy answered with an air of pride. "You don't even date anymore… Even _I_ was not aware of such human custom." A flat stare was all Gin had to offer to his surprisingly dense master. "Maybe because the last time you made it to the third date was technically in the last millennium…" Mephisto's mouth dropped, but unfortunately, he couldn't argue about facts. "See? You actually learnt a lot from all of this." the secretary encouraged.

"Indeed. I learnt that she is even more interesting than I have originally thought, and that there are no moral boundaries whatsoever when it comes to your spying occupation…" the demon lord replied flatly, then exhaled. _"...and that I… I might just have really fallen in love with her."_ he added inwardly, completely shocked by that realization. Gin's voice suddenly interrupted the demon's surprising train of thoughts. "And, as a spy, I have only respect for your… deep… undercover… infiltration techniques. Not to mention you stepping in for Mr. Okumura and giving the young lady a special lesson in demon anatomy." Mephisto's eye twitched as he casted warning glances at the secretary, who was apparently eager to learn just how much he could push his luck that night. "Giiin." "Samael, I was merely doing my job. Trust me, I took no pleasure in it - unlike you." Gin added, unable to stop himself for sprouting further suggestive nonsense. "Aaaand out!" The Lord of Time ordered, red and trembling with suppressed giggles. "By your leave, your _beastly magnificence_ …" Gin bowed mockingly, then rushed off, covering behind the door from whatever office equipment went flying after him. In the meantime, the headmaster just massaged his temples, then leaned on the tall windows of his office with a fond smile, his mind drifting back to the incredible night…

OoO

Yukio was lying on the bed in the hut they had been staying at during the intensive training. He was sweating profoundly, the cramps in his stomach absolutely unbearable. _"How the hell… I watched her every move! I saw every ingredient she used… And yet… she somehow managed to prepare…_ that _! God, if my antidote doesn't take effect soon, this is gonna be my last meal, I just know it… It's even worse than the wild boar she caught three days ago during our lesson on traps… At least she_ said _it was a boar…"_ the teacher sulked but couldn't bring himself to tell Thea the reason behind his sudden fatigue. "Well, hello Mr. Okumura!" a sonorous voice sounded in the small room as the principal suddenly appeared in the magical portal-door in a puff of pink smoke. "How is the training…" the demon trailed off at the sight of the teacher lying on his bed in pain. "...Mr. Okumura, what is the matter?" Mephisto approached the bed in a few swift steps. "I made a mistake…" came a laborious reply. "Thea... I shouldn't have let Thea…" the teacher continued in a dizzy voice while a serious, almost alert expression settled on the headmaster's face. "What happened? Where is she?" "It's my fault… I should, uhn… I should have known better than to eat the… stuff she cooks. Oh God…" the young man shot up from the bed and ran towards the bathroom to vomit. When the torture was finally over, Yukio stepped out as white as a sheet, the dark circles under his eyes surpassing even the ones of his headmaster. "Don't. Eat. Her. Cooking… _Ever_ …" he emphasized, pointing meaningfully at Mephisto while holding his stomach in half-delirium.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Mr. Okumura." the demon regarded him with an honestly puzzled expression on his face, which was soon replaced by an uncharacteristically fond one. "For your information, Thea's cooking is… heavenly delicious. In any case, considering your current state, I suggest you take a day off." "N-no, that won't be necessary. Besides, we still have a lot to cover and…" a hand landed firmly on his shoulder and he almost puked again because a sweet scent of chocolate Mephisto was carrying hit his nose. He couldn't even _look_ at food, let alone smell it. However, the headmaster obviously found it a good idea to wave the bonbons right under his nose, causing another wave of nausea to hit him. "That is out of question. I cannot have you teach in your state, Mr. Okumura. You will take a day off. You can send a backup to substitute for you until you feel better. Now then, off you go." the demon said, ushering the teacher through the magical door back to his own dimension. Yukio did not even have the power to protest anymore, so he just obediently let himself be half-dragged and half-supported to the portal. _"Maybe it's for the best… God… A week of training with her… I'm worn out. I'd better send someone else… just for a while…"_ hazy thoughts kept rushing through the teacher's mind as he left.

"Now then, let's see how my lady is doing." Mephisto thought, silently hoping that Thea would be in much better state than the teacher, but before he could even set off towards her own little hut, loud knocks interrupted his actions. "Teacher? Teacher, can you hear me? May I come in?" The demon stood motionless after hearing those words, a strange mix of most irritating emotions boiling inside of him. _"Why would she be here? This late in the night?"_ When no response came, the blonde kept knocking on the door more persistently. "Teacher?! Yukio!" Thea cried out while Mephisto couldn't help but ponder about the fact that young Okumura and his lady were apparently on the first-name-basis. "Oh God, I knew I should have…" the doorknob started to wiggle, then the door flew open with a loud crack and fell slightly to the side, hanging only on the bottom hinges. The headmaster found himself standing completely dumbstruck in front of the panting blonde. "Mephisto! You are here! Oh, good…" Thea exhaled with a smile, washing away all of his unpleasant thoughts.

"My, my… I didn't think you were the type who would sneak into a man's room at night, let alone _break_ into it. Are you cheating on me, dear?" a smug grin appeared on his face, contrasting with Thea's confused one. "Wait, what?" she blinked, then chuckled as the realization dawned on her. "Oh, seriously… And how come _you_ are here, hmm? Aren't you too sneaking into the teacher's room this late at night with a… is that… is that a box of chocolate?" Thea arched her eyebrow questioningly, then giggled. "I didn't think you swing that way. Should I be worried?" The Lord of Time approached his lady, taking her hands into his. "My dear, you are the only one I am interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with. With Yukio… Well, that is not why he calls me headmaster. Aaaand it would not feel right when I pay his wages…" he winked at her, noticing that her cheeks just flushed bright red and her mouth fell open in disbelief. "You… You are impossible, you know it? You… You!" Thea puffed up, then reached for his hat, pulling it down his face so it completely obscured his view. Low chuckles came as the headmaster peaked from under the hat. "I know, I know… head-idiot-master-demon, was it?" he grinned, bringing the girl to giggles, then he suddenly found himself in a warm embrace. "I'm glad that you are here." she mumbled. "I thought that something bad happened to the teacher…" "Is that why you rushed in?" "Uhm. He seemed really tired these last two days. Today, I made him rice porridge so he would feel a little better, but I think he's gotten worse. And he just wouldn't let me check on him, claiming that he just needed some sleep. So I let him rest and went to cook some dinner. Then, I suddenly felt his aura disappear…" "I see." the demon nodded in understanding and stroked her hair. "Well, he will be fine once he rests a little. I will stay until his backup arrives." "You will?" the girl beamed. "That's great! Then… what about dinner? I already made a portion for two." "It would be my pleasure." he said, offering Thea his arm.

Soon, they were both enjoying their warm meal and a wonderful conversation in Thea's hut, while the fire kept crackling in the fireplace, casting pleasant orange hues around the room. The demon leaned on his hand, feeling strangely excited and at peace at the same time. "How was the meal called, again?" "Spaghetti Quattro Stagioni." the blonde swelled with pride at her creation, unable to hide just how happy she was that Mephisto liked her cooking. "The first quarter was with poppy, the second with cocoa and chocolate, the third one had blueberries in it and the last one had tomatoes." she counted out while the demon kept nodding enthusiastically. "I was wondering what combination could create such a harmonic taste…" "Well, thank you. I almost gave up on the recipe because Ayami kept saying that tomatoes have no place in that mixture…" the blonde shook her head. Mephisto blinked in confusion. "I wonder why. Tomatoes are fruits, it is only natural to mix them with something sweet." Thea beamed and exclaimed cheerfully. "I know, right?" Her cheeks started hurting slightly from all the smiling - the surprise visit was just so pleasant, and she intended to enjoy every second of it to the fullest.

A while later, Mephisto found himself sitting with Thea in front of the fireplace, a warm blanket over their shoulders, mint tea with honey in their hands. His lady leaned gently on his shoulder and exhaled. _"If I knew the check-in would turn out into such a delicious meal and a date, I would have cancelled that business in Sweden tomorrow, so I could come here again. This is… absolutely incredible. We are still together… I can't even remember the last time I had more than one or two dates with the same person…"_ he mused with a hint of amusement and befuddlement - it usually took only one rendezvous to find himself facing eager demands for a special deal, for riches or power. That was, if his dates weren't attempting to poison, stab or otherwise get rid of him at the moment. A soft, pleasant voice interrupted his train of thoughts. "Are you alright, Mephisto?" the blonde eyed him curiously. "You seem a little… troubled?" The Lord of Time was quite grateful for the color-play provided by the fireplace, it served well to mask his blush. _"Seeing right through me again…"_ he shook his head and pulled the blonde a little closer, then answered. "Not at all, my dear. I was just thinking… if I'm not mistaken, this is actually our third date and…" he stopped himself. _"No. Stop right there. This is ridiculous - I can't possibly tell her how glad I am that it's another date and no dagger is sticking out of my back… At least not yet… Verdammt, focus! Way to ruin the romance…"_ before he could find the right words to somehow express his thoughts though, Thea put her hand to her cheek, her eyes wide. "Oh, you are right. This would be the third one, right? I see…" she smiled knowingly.

The demon cocked his head in puzzlement. "You see what, dear?" "I meant, I see what you mean…" she answered with a bright blush on her face. "You do?" the demon blinked, once again considering the possibility of Thea having some mind-reading technique up her sleeve. "Well, yeah… I mean… I did not really see that coming but… but if you want to…" she shuffled nervously, biting her lip, her face already beetroot-red while Mephisto's brows furrowed as he was trying to decipher the sudden tension in her. A gloved hand cupped her cheek gently. "Thea, dear. What is it?" "Well, _you_ are the one who brought that up… since, uhm, since it's kind of a tradition for a couple to get intimate on their third date and…" she covered her face with one hand as a wave of embarrassment hit her. Mephisto felt as if his brain froze for a moment and his mouth fell open. "It is?" he blinked, dumbstruck. "It is. Isn't that why you mentioned it in the first place?" she brushed her hair away from her face, daring to look in his eyes, then froze as well. "Wait a moment… y-you didn't know about this tradition?" "What can I say, I am usually the one _breaking_ the traditions." the demon chuckled, then leaned in closer. "Although, some of them might be well worth keeping alive…" he held her gaze while placing a kiss on her hand. "...especially if you so desire." Silence. An almost tangible tension. The demon gulped - has he just pushed his luck? Then, Thea's beautiful smile tore through all his doubts, as she put a gentle kiss on his lips. "I think… I do." she said, her lips barely parted from his. Mephisto instantly pulled her closer, burying his hand into her golden locks, kissing her passionately, the tantalizing scent of honey and cinnamon driving his rising desire.

OoO

"Ayamiiiii!" Thea called out, then hugged her roommate tightly as she arrived back at the dorms. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you. It's been so long…" Her surprised friend returned the hug, patting the blonde at the back. "Gee, OK, calm down, you are crushing me. What's with the hype? It's been just four days." Ayami chuckled, then helped Thea carry her bags inside. "Oh… well, a lot has happened… I guess it just felt longer than that." Thea giggled. The raven-haired girl eyed her suspiciously. She was used to Thea's optimistic moods and a smile which seemed to never leave her face, but she felt somehow… different - livelier, energized and practically beaming. She had to fight the urge to put a hand in front of her face, much as one would cover from the sun. _"That's strange. Hmmm… Her face of a job-well-done looks a little different. It's not her 'day-off' face, either. Nor is it the pure joy of finding out that her favorite sweets are fifty percent off on sale…"_ Thea's musical voice interrupted her train of thoughts. "Is there something on my face?" the blonde chuckled, and Ayami tapped a finger on her lips. "Actually… there _is_. You look somehow… I think that the word 'happy' does not quite do your expression justice." A blush of deep-red color appeared on Thea's face and suddenly, it all fell together in Ayami's mind. "Oh. My. God. You had sex!" she blurted out in excitement, and in an instant, there was a hand plastered over her mouth. "Shush! Are you crazy? Don't shout such things out loud, for God's sake! At least wait until I close the door…" Thea urged pleadingly, her face becoming positively redder. Once they were safely inside their little apartment, the blonde let go of her friend, then covered her ears from the incoming 'Aaaaaaaaaa! I knew it, I knew it! Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh. My. God! I want every detail!

"Alright, alright, just stop shaking me already." Thea cried, but couldn't keep the excitement bottled up any longer. And so, she told Ayami about Mephisto's unexpected visit during her language school trip, about how they enjoyed a nice dinner and tea in front of the fireplace. She especially kept boasting about how he liked her cooking. _"Sweet Jesus… he ate her cooking. Willingly! And somehow mustered the energy to praise it, too. A true love, indeed."_ Ayami thought, subconsciously holding her stomach as she listened to Thea's descriptions. "Fine, I get it, I get it. He liked your cooking. So, what about the rest of the night? How was he?" she asked suggestively, her lips almost completely torn from all the nervous biting she had put them through. She knew that she would not get too many details out of her friend, as Thea was quite shy when it came to intimacy. And so, it did not surprise her that the blonde just buried her face into Mr. Woolly - her most treasured sheep-companion - and let herself fall on her bed. Surprisingly though, she could see Thea rising two of her fingers. "Peace?" Ayami's eyebrows rose, but Thea just shook her head, still holding onto her dear plush toy. "Twice." she mumbled, and Ayami's hands suddenly seemed too slow to keep up with the intensity of waving she needed to reach to calm herself down. "Aaaaa! Well, look at that! He really made sure you had a great time. See? He's totally into you! I told you. Didn't I tell you?" "Uhm." the blonde kept nodding, still too embarrassed to look at her excited roommate properly.

"I wanna details! Oh please, please!" Ayami shook her friend again. "Come ooon. I too told you about me and Toshiro." "Yeah, perhaps a little too much." Thea started laughing, then finally left her small sheep-sanctuary. "Excuse me? A little too much?" Ayami fixed her with hands folded in front of her chest. "I know about his favorite position, for God's sake!" "So? It's not _that_ intimate. Intimate would be if you knew that he…" "Nooo!" Thea's desperation rose to dangerous levels, so she flung one of the sheep from the flock on her bed at Ayami. But not Mr. Woolly - he was too precious to be used as a projectile. "OK, OK. I'm not gonna talk about it. But speaking of positions, what is Mephisto's…" "Oh my God, noooooo! Absolutely not!" another sheep landed right on Ayami's face. "Geee, fine. Just tell me anything you feel comfortable sharing, then." "Why, thank you." the blonde exhaled, completely flustered. "It was just… magnificent. He was gentle and also passionate… just in the right moments. It felt like his hands were everywhere and…" Thea closed her eyes, remembering his piercing forest-green eyes, heated kisses, gentle caresses, his well-toned body pressed tightly to hers, his tail wrapped firmly around her waist… Even the memory made her blush all over again, so she swiftly snapped her eyes open again. "And?" Ayami waited impatiently. "And… his tail, I mean, tattoo! Tattoo! He had an interesting tattoo down on his back…" she said swiftly, trying to save the unfortunate slip. To her relief, Ayami bought it and just grinned widely. "Well, that's the most information I have been able to get out of you on this topic since like… ever! Aaah, now I can die in peace…" she started laughing and Thea soon joined her. "So, did you learn anything else?" The blonde thought for a while. "Well… I learnt that he's a real beast in bed…" she grinned, enjoying her secret little wordplay. _"...and that I… I might just have really fallen in love with him."_ Before Thea could ponder about that surprising realization any further, her best friend hugged her tightly, then suggested catching up on the rest of the events over a cup of hot cocoa.

OoO

"Your report, Zahar." a commanding voice echoed through the audience room as the demoness clad in dark cloak with a nightshade embroidered on its back approached her new master. "My lord, everything is ready. Our ally at the Academy is ready to let the armies in at your command." she bowed low but dared to take a swift peek at Abaddon's face, noticing the vicious wide grin which had just spread on his face. "Excellent. Leraje." The Lord of the Abyss addressed the demon standing next to Zahar. "At your service, my lord." the demonic marquise with a bow on his back, silken eyepatch covering his left eye, clad in green and golden light armor saluted. "You will lead the forces." The freshly elevated general went to one knee and put a hand to his chest. "I am honored, your majesty. I will not let you down." "Good, good." Abaddon nodded, then motioned Leraje to rise. "You will attack tomorrow at dawn. Samael's barrier will be down, but there is a significant number of wards guarding the place, as well as security and teachers to deal with, so proceed cautiously. As promised, you are free to kill as you please and any riches you find are yours but mind the objective first." Leraje's golden eyes shone in excitement, then he bowed again and set off to organize the forces.

"You remember _your_ job, don't you, poison-maker?" The Lord of the Abyss eyed Zahar meaningfully. "I do, my lord. While Leraje's forces draw Samael's attention, my team shall kidnap the girl." the demoness summed up. "Samael might have his own guards set on her, so you need to make sure that she leaves the dorms quietly and willingly." "I know, my lord. That has been already taken care of. We will proceed with the plan once your forces strike at the Academy." Suddenly, she could feel her chin being lifted, as Abaddon bent down ever so slightly, moderating his voice to a whisper. "Good. Do your job and the revenge will be yours, Zahar of the Alsumu." the demon said with an air of threat hidden behind the sweet promise of vengeance.

OoO

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**Disclaimer:** Blue Exorcists belongs to Kazue Katō. Please, do not re-post or publish my story without my consent.

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**Author's note:** Hello everyone! :) The next chapter of my FF-story is here! I am so happy I managed to finish it before Christmas, as I know you guys have been looking forward to it. As always, any feedback is much appreciated, be it a review or a message. I hope you will enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it ^^ Happy holiday everyone and stay tuned for the next chapter!


	18. An assault, a crime, and this heavily armed love of mine

"A German theater play? At 9 PM? Whoa, whoa, slow down… I have a lesson on holy scripts and chants at that time. I cannot just ditch that lecture, the theory is important, it will be…" Thea tried to explain, as Mephisto suddenly called to invite her to another date. "Grau, meine Liebe, ist alle Theorie…" a smug voice reached Thea's ears, bringing her to giggles. _"He can't be serious… Is he really going to cite Faust? 'Gray, dear friend, is the theory…' Well, he switched the 'dear friend' to 'my beloved', but still…"_ When she managed to subdue her chuckles, she answered, filling in the rest of the quotation from Faust. "... und grün des Lebens goldner Baum." - _'... but the golden tree of life springs evergreen.'_ "Seriously Mephisto… Did you just use that beautifully inspirational, philosophical quote for making me skip the 'gray', 'boring' lesson and play hooky with you tonight instead?" "So, it is a 'yes', then?" he asked, and Thea could already imagine the broad, smug smile on his triumphant face. She started to laugh all over again - going out with him sure seemed more fun than the lecture, but she had responsibilities. "Mephisto, it sounds really wonderful, but I don't want to get into unnecessary trouble…" Thea tried to reason - she had still been catching up with some subjects, and they could just go on the date another time. "What is the matter, Thea? Afraid to be sent to the principal's office for a punishment?" a self-satisfied, suggestive voice intoned, and was met by a smacking sound as Thea facepalmed herself. "Mephistooo! You are impossible…" she said completely flustered. "I mean it, I can't be ditching classes just because I'm dating you now." "No need to worry, my dear. As thrilling as the scenario might be, you are covered for tonight. I have already made the necessary arrangements - I'll be borrowing you for a 'private lesson'." Thea just shook her head and exhaled in defeat - the offer was simply too intriguing to let it pass. Especially when he had already informed the teacher. "Oh fine, I'll go…" "Splendid! Now then, have you perhaps finally changed your mind about being picked up by my chauffeur?" "Nope." the blonde answered through giggles, amused by Mephisto's attempts to make her take his limousine which she did not feel comfortable taking. "The Mozartkugeln in the car bar are silver and blue." the demon added off-handedly, finally having discovered the secret of what exactly makes the difference between the two sorts of one of Thea's favorite sweets - apparently, the silver-blue ones were handmade and original with a huge tradition behind them while the others, still delicious, were not. Mephisto could have sworn he heard the girl gulp. "Aaaaaw, I knew you had a great taste in sweets! Still, I'm going to walk - I need to stop at some places on my way. I'll meet you at the reception, OK?" "Very well, my dear. I am very much looking forward to seeing you tonight." the demon said fondly, making Thea blush again. "Me too."

OoO

"Rin? Hey, Rin!" Thea started waving enthusiastically as she spotted her friend in the street, rushing past her towards the True Cross Academy grounds, completely ignoring her. The half-demon turned to the left and grinned as he noticed her. "Over here." the blonde waved again, catching up to him. "T-Thea? Holy crap!" Rin exclaimed. "Uhm… Hello to you, too?" she tilted her head to the side, her lips curling up. "… I'm so sorry, I didn't recognize you." Rin grinned sheepishly while the girl just blinked in confusion. "It's just… You're looking kinda… I don't think I ever saw you in a fancy dress like that! A bit overdressed for our chanting lesson, aren't ya?" he added with a slight blush on his face, pointing at her person. Thea looked herself up and down - true, the white dress, high-heels, and jewelry were all borrowed from her friend's huge wardrobe, but she couldn't just wear her usual sneakers, T-shirt, and jeans to a theatre. She grinned sheepishly. "Yeaaah… the thing is… I'm not really going to today's lesson on holy scripts and chants." came a silent whisper as Thea leaned in closer to share her little secret. "You see, I'm seeing Mephisto tonight. We are going to the theater, so I just wanted to… you know, to look pretty." "Ooooh, you, and playing hooky?" Rin grinned, but before he could say anymore, a soft melody interrupted him. "Ah, sorry, that's my phone." Thea reached for it, only to find a text message from Mephisto. It read: _"Thea, my dearest, a very urgent matter suddenly came up and requires my full and immediate attention. It would appear that I will not be able to make it to our date tonight. Please, accept my apologies for this unfortunate turn of events. I promise to make it up to you as soon as the opportunity arises. P.S. Knowing you, you are probably about to head off right to your classes. Well, the theory might be grey, but I do hope you will enjoy the lesson on scripts and chants, nonetheless. Mephisto 3"_

"Well, what do you know… looks like I'm going to the lesson after all." Thea scratched her head, putting her unruly locks into place, then swiftly texted Mephisto back and turned to Rin. "Huh? What about Mephisto?" Rin eyed the girl curiously. "Looks like something important came up, so he can't make it tonight." she eyed the phone with a hint of concern, then put it back to her bag. "Wait, so that clown ditched you?!" the half-demon exclaimed, once again forgetting himself and his terrible lack of tact. "No, no. It's not like _that_ …" Thea waved her hands in front of her defensively. "Ah, fine, it's like _that_ , but just tonight. And he sounded like it was really serious. Anyway, I'm sure he will have a good reason." The teenage boy flushed a little after hearing her words. "Wow… you really _do_ like him, huh?" "I do." she smiled in response. "Even though he's… you know…" Rin looked at the blonde nervously. "Yeah, I know, I know. Even though he's my headmaster, and older, and a little creepy…" she counted out all the reasons her friends at the Academy had already managed to point out about his person, then Rin cut in pronouncedly. "I meant the demon thing, Thea." " _And_ that 'demon thing _,_ ' too. Boy, I really seem to be forgetting about that…" she shook her head and chuckled, silently thinking about his cute tail, blushing like crazy. So instead, she focused on walking swiftly - or rather as fast as the cursed high-heeled shoes allowed her to - as they were already good ten minutes late for their lesson.

"Oh. That's… good to know." Rin cleared his throat thoughtfully while Thea eyed him suspiciously - he was acting so serious all of a sudden. Then she finally connected all the dots. "Rin, you should know that she doesn't mind you being who you are…" His eyes widening, the half-demon gasped and stopped in his traces, as Thea smiled at him encouragingly. "Shiemi is too kind and compassionate to simply judge you just by your origin. But I'm sure you already know that, right?" the blonde grinned, only to find Rin blushing and smiling fondly at the same time. "You… You know?" he gaped at her in surprise, wondering whether his feelings were so obvious, or Thea was just a keen observer. "Thanks, Thea!" he said, his spirits once again high. "Sure, no problem." Thea smiled, then looked at her friend secretively. "And to help you out a bit, let me share a little secret - Shiemi's favorite sweet are herb cookies, the ones her grandmother used to make. And it just so happens that I managed to get my hands on that recipe…" Thea raised her eyebrows twice suggestively and Rin's face beamed instantly, his eyes full of resolve. "Of course! She likes flowers and herbs, so I guess that… Thea?" the half-demon inclined his head, noticing the sudden change in the girl's expression.

Thea winced slightly, clutching her head as hundreds of colors suddenly blossomed in front of her, then looked towards the Academy with a confused expression. "Hey, are you alright?" "Now that's weird…" the blonde said, then rubbed her eyes as if to make sure they were not playing tricks on her. "I can see all the auras at the Academy all of a sudden." "So? You always see them, don't you?" Rin inquired and looked towards the Academy as well. "Yes, but not from here. Mephisto's barrier always keeps them hidden. Something's wrong… Oh no…" "What is it?" Rin urged, looking towards the Academy, trying to see what was hidden from his eyes. "I can feel demons around. A lot of them! Rin, I think Mephisto's barrier is down and… and the Academy is under attack." Thea gulped, and after she shared a look with Rin, Thea started running towards the place as fast as the cursed high-heeled shoes allowed her to, Rin joining her.

OoO

"Damn! I don't get it; I cannot reach him at all…" Thea cursed after yet another unsuccessful try to dial Mephisto's number. "Still nothing, huh?" Rin asked as they were closing in on the Academy grounds. "No…" the blonde exhaled, a terrible feeling washing over her. _"This feels wrong… First Mephisto has to leave to take care of some urgent matter, then the Academy suddenly gets attacked? This is no coincidence… I hope you are alright, Mephisto… Just hurry up and come back already!"_ Rin's voice suddenly tore through Thea's train of thoughts. "It will be alright, Thea. I'll protect you, promise. Come, let's find the others…" An explosion suddenly thundered from the direction of one of the main halls, shattering the tall windows, sending splitters of colored glass to the ground. Cries of panic and terrible, savage screeches reached their ears, followed by the sound of things being broken or smashed around. "Let's go!" Rin gritted out, reaching for his sword. "No, wait!" Thea caught his arm and pulled him back, preventing him from unsheathing the katana. She didn't want Rin to use his demonic powers just yet, as it could alert the enemy about their presence. Literally everyone could pick up the presence of the Son of Satan. "We cannot rush in like that. They will see us from miles away." she whispered. "Tsk, fine by me. I'll just burn them all to a crisp." he grinned devilishly, his features slightly reminding her of Mephisto for a moment. "Rin, please, listen to me. We have to be smart about this. They obviously came prepared, this is no coincidence, so we need to think this through…" Thea tried to reason with her hot-headed friend, clutching his arm firmly, preventing him from going any further. She briefly considered casting a binding circle on him, too, but as long as they had the advantage of surprise, she didn't dare use her powers either. "There's no time, our friends need us! We can't just sit around planning!" he prompted, pinning Thea with an uncompromising look.

The blonde gulped, trying really hard to process all the events and come up with some clever solution. Just how could she possibly explain all of what was happening? Dozens upon dozens of very strong auras kept pouring in together with swarms of lesser demons, some of which she couldn't even name. She ran her fingers through her golden locks in intense thought. _"Oh God, this is bad… Everyone is scattered around, it's a chaos in there. And the demons… they are really, really strong! I don't even know if some of them are using a barrier to cover their powers…"_ she thought with rising anxiety, then an idea sprung up in her head. _"Wait… A barrier. That's it! We need to restore Mephisto's barrier, keep the demons at bay, so that no more can enter the Academy. That way, we could concentrate on just a portion of them."_ Instantly, the blonde remembered the time in the Warding room where Mephisto had described the way the Academy 'defense system' worked. If she was not mistaken, the cards were already enchanted, so filling them with enough power should be just enough to do the trick. _"But… I'm definitely not strong enough to pull this through. I wasn't even able to light up one measly card. Rin on the other hand… But he will not agree to going there unless we find our classmates first. Well, actually, that would be a great help. Judging by the concentration of auras, the place is_ swarmed _with demons, so we could definitely use some reinforcements…"_

"OK, Rin, I already have a plan - just trust me. Listen, we will join our friends but let's go to the Armory first." Thea suggested earning herself a surprised look. "I need some guns and equipment for the fight." she explained. "No, you don't, I can protect you just fine. Just stay behind me and…" "No!" she put her foot down firmly, her fists clenched from the conscious effort she had to make in order to keep her aura from leashing out in anger. "Would you please stop it already?! Just because you are a super strong half-demon doesn't mean you can or have to manage everything by yourself!" she said, causing Rin's eyes to widen. "Thea… I…" the half-demon tried to calm his friend down, but to no avail. "This is teamwork, dammit! You want to protect me? Well, sure, go ahead. But at least give me the chance to have your back, too. If we rush in like this, I will only be a liability. You won't be able to concentrate on any fight properly. I want to help everyone just as much as you do. I know I am not as strong as you are, but I've been training really hard and can still be of help, so just… just let me do my part, too…" she said, a strange combination of frustration and determination written all over her face. The half-demon gave himself a mental slap. _"Oh man, I really screwed up big time here… It's just like the last time with the Peg Lantern, and also with the other missions which came shortly afterward. The guys too scolded me for the very same reason. And I almost did it again…"_ Rin thought, remembering him having a fight with his friends about his solo-actions and hot-headed temper. And how useless he used to make them feel because of that… Well, he was not about to make the same mistake again.

He held her gaze, then nodded firmly. "Alright. We will sneak into the Armory, equip ourselves and then rush to help our friends." The blonde blinked in surprise - she thought that Rin would need more persuasion. Then she smiled and returned back to her usual determined self. "Great. Now, let's hurry. We need to get in and avoid the flood of demons from over there." she pointed towards one of the halls. A grin appeared on the half-demons face, then he nodded. "Sounds good to me. Alright, come on, I know about a neat way in." In a few moments, Thea found herself flung over Rin's back, clinging to him as he jumped over the high Academy Gate. Together, they snuck through the gardens, which were the closest to the Armory and luckily also quite far away from the epicenter of the attack. The unceasing flood of demons was concentrating in the main halls and aulas at the moment. That allowed both of them to avoid any notice, but it also meant that more people were in danger and they had to hurry. Thea's heart kept beating faster as they were nearing their destination. _"This is no training. I can't afford the situation at the Tokyo University hospital to repeat. I have to prevent people from being hurt rather than just healing them afterwards."_

"OK, Thea, we are here." the half-demon whispered upon entering the large, armored storage-like building. "Quickly, grab what you need and let's be outta here." The blonde nodded, running her eyes through the stockpile of weapons. "Hey, how about this pistol?" Rin picked up a piece from the table, showing it to Thea. "That's not a pistol but a revolver. Ah, never mind… In any case, I'm not much good with those, I need something…" "Ah, sure, something smaller… This one?" the half-demon interrupted, holding up a sub-compact Smith & Wesson 380 ACP. "Actually, I was thinking about something like this." Thea said with a smirk, pulling out a shotgun. "Oh… And you're sure you can handle it? It looks bigger than you." Rin's eyebrows rose questioningly. "Yeah. Actually, much better and more precise than the smaller ones. Not to mention easier to handle. Now, could you please pass that rifle over there?" She pointed at the piece lying at the top of a high regal, standing on her tiptoes. Rin just chuckled and reached for the gun. "Fine, anything else?" "Just a sec, I'm almost finished with this rucksack." Thea said, throwing in some ammunition, smoke grenades and other neat accessories she had become familiar with during her special training with the older Okumura.

"Here, put it on." she handed him a bullet-proof vest and put one on herself, too. Rin eyed it skeptically. "Thea, come on, you know I'm tougher than that. What good will it do? The demons won't shoot at us. I mean… they are demons…" "Oh, really?" the blonde folded her arms meaningfully. "Listen to me, Rin. We have a rare opportunity to equip ourselves before the fight, so we have to use it to the fullest. You never know what kind of enemies we might encounter. Besides… they are probably not just demons…" she made a grimace, causing Rin's eyes to widen. "No way! You mean… traitors? At the Academy?!" "It's possible... Look, I know you are tough, but we cannot take any unnecessary risks." she held his gaze until the half-demon nodded, then proceeded with the preparations as fast as she could, gladly ditching the borrowed high heels for military boots. "Geez… If Ayami saw me in her dress combined with these boots, she would probably faint…" Thea grinned inwardly, but felt much better in proper footwear. Having filled the bags with some other interesting equipment, the duo started sneaking through the gardens towards the training area no. 5 where their lesson was taking that day.

Once they neared the training grounds, they made a halt in the thick forest and inspected the area carefully. Thea could feel the auras of their friends coming from the large cottage house in the middle of the forest clearing where they were usually practicing chants. Two of them shone brightly while three of them were represented only by a faint, dim light. The blonde panicked - had she taken too much time preparing for the fight? Was she really late? _"No, stop it. Focus!"_ she shook her head, concentrating. A flock of approximately twenty harpies was hovering above the clearing - from the looks of it, they were on a watch, guarding it, so that no one could get too close to the cottage. The rest of demonic energy was coming from inside the cottage where her friends were. If she was not mistaken, approximately another ten auras were present, some of them more powerful than the others. Sadly, she could not tell if more demons were present, as they could be hiding their presence. This was strange, though. Why would so many demons, and so strong demons, be there in all places? The fight was in the Academy halls, wasn't it? They definitely needed a good plan if they were to attack all the demons and save their friends. And so, Thea quickly reported everything she was able to catch from the swift check to Rin, then shared her idea with him. "Wow… well, I'm not used to playing the bait, but I'm in!" the half-demon grinned, his eyes flickering with resolve and just a hint of amusement.

After a few moments, Rin acted in accordance with Thea's plan, which was actually just like his usual self - he assaulted the harpies with his usual bold, direct attack accompanied by a number of colorful nicknames he came up with for the feathered monsters. He didn't push past them, though. Instead, he started running in zig-zags through the clearing away from the cottage house, and let the flock follow him. They kept diving after him, letting themselves fall to the ground at a deadly speed with their big, sharp talons outstretched. The half-demon slashed at the monsters with his flame-empowered katana whenever he had the chance. Unfortunately, the harpies were apparently masters at maneuvering and managed to avoid even the perfectly aimed Satan Slashes he released at them from his sword. "Dammit, die already, you stupid birds!" Rin roared and put some more energy into the next slash, catching the wing of one of his pursuers, completely severing it from its body. The beast screeched terribly, then spiraled to the ground. That seemed to have angered the rest of the harpies, so they descended upon him in persistent waves, despite the fact that he kept himself engulfed in his blue flames. For some reason, the fire was not as effective against them, so they just continued their attack, diving at him, scratching him and digging their talons into his skin. He could feel a piercing pain throbbing from the long gashes they left on his arms and legs, silently thankful for the bullet-proof vest.

_"_ _Just how are they doing it?! They don't have any swords or spears, so what are they… wait a moment, are those their… wings?"_ Rin eyed the attackers more closely, then noticed that their wings had a faint metallic shine to them. The loose feathers on the ground looked surprisingly solid - as if the harpies dropped razor-sharp daggers. That would explain the slashes and also why the harpies' 'feathers' did not burn instantly. He had to admit that the bulletproof vest did come in handy, but after a few more attacks, they managed to tatter it to pieces. He could only guess how much that would have hurt without its protection. He swiftly caught one of the harpies by her neck, holding it strongly, then rammed his katana into her body and set it on fire. The creature trashed around, screeched with a deafeningly high-pitched voice, then vanished, leaving only a pile of white-glowing, dagger-like feathers on the ground. Rin looked above and counted the harpies swiftly. _"Ten, huh? Not bad, not bad at all, Thea!"_ Rin grinned as he took in his surroundings - about twelve of those feathery wretches were scattered all around in unmoving heaps, their skulls and necks pierced by bullets. The flock of harpies was reduced to a half of their original numbers before the remaining ones even noticed what was happening - that the half-demon only played a bait while somebody else had taken them down silently from behind, safely laying in tall grass far away. Rin inhaled, swung back, then rammed his katana into the ground using Satan Bomb, causing the ground to shake and erupt, sending piles of dirt and blue flames up. The flame engulfed the dead harpy bodies, turning them into ashes, leaving only their feathers behind. _"Better safe than sorry."_ the half-demon thought, then tried to send another flaming blast after the harpies above him.

Soon, the harpies dove once again from the skies. "This again?! You're growing boring, you flock of chickens." Rin mocked, then surrounded himself by his blue flames, intensifying the heat. Two of the harpies were too slow to react and ended up scorched on the spot. Then, he jumped up as high as he could, trying to reach the harpies and get a better angle on them. He slashed with his katana, then let himself fall to the ground again. Or so he thought. The falling somehow lacked the necessary gravitation. Instead, he found himself suspended in the air, floating as a feather rather than falling roughly. In that moment, the harpies surrounded him, and an electrifying feeling shot throughout Rin's body, rendering him completely motionless. His flames soon subsided, and he gasped - one of the harpies was holding his tail firmly in her talons, while the other yanked the sword out of his hands and sheathed it. "H-hey! Give that back, you stupid hen-brain!" the half-demon threatened but could not move very well when subdued. Then, the feathered beasts started wrapping him in a strange, heavy net, which seemed to be made of some kind of metal. It started wrinkling up, tightening itself around his body so strongly that had he not been a half-demon, he was sure he would have been sliced by it to little pieces. When he appeared subdued enough, the harpies took off with him. "Damn it! Cursed thing! Let go of me!" Rin shouted and continued his struggle against the net. Before he could even blink, though, the same harpy which had taken his sword and helped carry him in the net prison was suddenly spiraling to the ground - together with both the sword and Rin in the net. It looked like her claws got tangled in the metallic fibers of the net, so when she started falling, she took Rin with her. They crushed to the ground with a loud thud, but fortunately, the fall was far from dangerous for his strong demon body. _"Nice one, Thea!"_ Rin cheered inwardly as he saw the hole in the harpy's head. The other harpies seemed far from amused, though. It appeared that this time, the harpies had realized someone had been shooting them and were able to tell from where the shots had been coming. They cast a brief look at Rin, then left him lying on the ground and started towards Thea instead. He probably looked subdued enough for the moment. "Hey, get back here! I'm not done with you! Thea, run!" he kept shouting as loud as he could and tried to wriggle out of the net. Unfortunately, his efforts were completely useless.

_"_ _Six of them left, huh? Not too bad."_ Thea thought with a hint of pride in her shooting skills combined with Rin's swordplay, then she focused again. She was laying on her stomach on one of the surrounding hills, covering her friend's back. For a moment, she let go of the image of Rin being held on the ground by some strange net, calling for her to run. Focus. Inhale. Slow exhale. Two-thirds of the exhale - shoot. Her lips curled up. Five to go. _"Well, that was surprisingly easy. Strange, they usually fly insanely fast… Wait a moment… it was supposed to be_ five _to go, but only_ four _are in the scope? Where is the fifth one?"_ the blonde panicked, and she had a very good reason to. A shadow was all she could see before strong claws tightened around her shoulders, lifting her up. _"No way! Don't tell me… Those harpies weren't flying at their full speed intentionally… Oh man, I can't believe I fell for it!"_ she mentally facepalmed herself. However, that was no time for sulking, she had to act. There was one advantage in being far from her half-demon friend - she didn't have to keep her aura subdued. Before the harpy managed to fly with her too high, Thea swiftly dropped her barrier, letting it spread about three meters in diameter around her. Strange, her usual maximum was about a meter and a half. However, she did have her 'lucky days' sometimes. Days when she thought she was just overflowing with energy and could use so much more of it. Still, she remembered the boundaries of her powers. She might have felt powerful at the moment but that didn't mean that she could just use it all up on one measly harpy. Besides, three meters were just enough for her feathery captor to vanish within her aura with a surprisingly peaceful expression on its face. Thea dropped to the ground with a loud thud but collected herself swiftly. There was no time left for sniping anymore, so she grabbed the weapon and her rucksack and ran to take cover in the nearby forest.

Running through the forest with all the equipment _and_ in a dress was difficult but at least she was able to escape the harpies. Oh, they saw where she ran into and had an idea as to where she might be at the moment, but they were too big to maneuver easily among the trees. Or so she thought. One look behind her back told her that the persistent flock had no problem whatsoever flying through the thick branches. Apparently, their feathers were as sharp as razors, so the harpies were breaking their way through the thick vegetation as easily as slicing through a piece of butter. Thea's eyes widened in panic, then she found herself sprawled on the ground. Surprisingly, it was not because she had tripped over a root of a tree - one of the harpies just managed to hit her leg with a… dagger? Pain blossomed in her right calf, but for some explicable reason, Thea found falling for other reasons than her usual clumsiness a little win. Crawling behind a tree, she swiftly pulled out the cursed thing, touched the wound and closed it using her powers. With a sour grimace on her face, the blonde ditched her scout rifle, so that she could free her hands and run faster. She set off running again in a way that would keep her line of sight at Rin in case he needed help. Finally, she reached the point in the forest from where she could see Rin struggling in the net on the clearing right in front of her. Then, she fished out smoke grenades from her bag…

The half-demon kept wriggling in the net, trying to tear it apart with sheer force, but with no effect. The more he strained his body, the deeper the net kept cutting into his skin. He couldn't even try and burn that blasted thing, as his katana was sheathed and far away from his reach. Abruptly, clouds of thick smoke appeared in front of the forest and soon obscured his vision. His frustration rose. He gritted his teeth in anger and strained against the net, but to no effect. "There you are!" he suddenly heard a whisper accompanied by a beautiful smell of honey and cinnamon. "Thea! Over here!" Rin called out, then he felt his Satan flames appear again and his body already started restoring itself. "Don't move." came another whisper, then he heard a strange grating noise as Thea tried to slice through the net. It sounded as if his sword was grazing metal. "Rin, could you give it a little burst? The net is very strong, and it seems to be enchanted or something. I don't think I can just cut it." "Sure thing." the teenage boy grinned and closed his eyes in concentration. "OK, ready? Now!" He encouraged, sending a massive blast through his sword, commanding the flames to concentrate tightly around the blade. In that moment, the blonde leaned against the katana and sliced through the net, freeing her friend. "Nice one, Thea! You sure you don't wanna go for the Knight Meister, too?" Rin grinned and the girl just chuckled. "God, no! If it's larger than a scalpel, I'm not comfortable with it. That reminds me…" she swiftly pulled out her last two smoke grenades and flung them around. Soon, they could hear loud, angry screeches nearing from where the forest would be, until they settled above their heads.

"Now, the harpies know we are somewhere in the smoke but cannot see where exactly. They are just circling around. But! I can see their auras just fine." the blonde grinned devilishly. He felt Thea taking his hand - the one where he held the katana - and pointed with it above them, then slightly to the right. "There." she said and Rin nodded, releasing Satan Slash. A high-pitched screech followed by a loud thump was all they needed to hear. That move betrayed their position, though, so Thea could already feel one of the harpies descending from the sky above at a break-neck speed. However, she was ready for that and swiftly fired two rounds from her shotgun, aiming at the center of the fast-approaching aura. As she shot, the aura disappeared instantly. Blackness momentarily overcame Thea's vision, and she found herself unable to move. "What…" the blonde blinked, trying to process what just transpired. The smoke has already cleared, but everything around her seemed to be engulfed in blue hues. It was quite difficult for her to pick up the auras of the harpies in the sea of Rin's tremendous energy. Or maybe it was because there were no more harpies in the first place? She blinked again, trying to move, but her body didn't seem to cooperate.

"Thea, just a sec, I've got you. Hold still…" Rin said, hovering above her. She winced as a strange piercing pain appeared in her left arm. "Dammit! I'm so sorry, Thea. Just…" Then, she felt the strange burdensome feeling disappear, as Rin picked up what was apparently the harpy's dead body, and threw it away, allowing her to breathe and move freely again. Well, almost. She tried to sit up, only to be gently pinned down by Rin again. "Wait. Not yet. This might hurt a little. Ready? One, two..." he said, and Thea had to blink away some tears as Rin pulled out something looking like a set of daggers from her throbbing left arm. "What the… where's the 'three'?!" she said with a low chuckle, causing Rin to join her. "Sorry, I thought it would be less painful if you didn't see that coming. My doc did the same with the vaccination. Thought you might appreciate it." he grinned. "But damn, that was a close one." he exhaled, running his fingers through his hair. "What do you mean?" Thea asked, still a little dazed. "That harpy you shot - you killed her good, but she fell right at you and kinda knocked you out for a while there. Those things are surprisingly heavy with all the metal feathers… But no worries, I took care of the rest." he showed her thumbs up. "Some of her feathers ended up in your arm, though…" he smiled sheepishly, almost apologetically. "Oh, I see… Thank you, Rin. Well, I would like to pronounce this year's harpy hunting season closed." she smiled, then started working her power on her arm, repairing the shattered place between the humeroradial and humeroulnar joints on her elbow. "You look like a hedgehog, you OK?" Rin grinned at her, pointing at the rest of the dagger-like feathers rammed in her bullet-proof vest. They still managed to go right through, but fortunately not too deep, so Thea only had to heal the torn skin and some muscle tissue, but no organs. Then, she took off the vest. "I'm fine, thanks. Alright, ready for the next round?" she asked as Rin helped her to her feet. "Damn right, I am! Let's give them hell!"

OoO

Konekomaru breathed heavily, straining to keep his barrier in place. A bead of sweat ran down his temple, marking his exhaustion, but his resolve did not waver. _"I have to keep it up! Just a little longer, until someone arrives… Surely the teachers and guards must have noticed the presence of demons by now… Oh man, this would be much easier if Bon were conscious…"_ He grimaced, looking at his passed-out friend. Unfortunately, Bon was not the only one lying on the ground, unable to fight, not to mention in a poor condition. The attack had come unexpectedly, about ten minutes after their lesson had started. Shiemi had asked if she could open the window because she had been feeling dizzy. Apparently, it had nothing to do with the freshness of the air, but rather with the poisonous fumes coming from the spores of a strange plant which had grown around the cottage. Shiemi had breathed in the poison the moment she had opened the window and had collapsed shortly afterward, paralyzed. Their teacher, Mrs. Angeline, had immediately started reciting a purifying incantation, prompting the students to join her. They had managed to purify the air, until a group of various demons descended upon them - various groups of surprisingly organized demons, such as harpies and even some wolves. They had not really _attacked_ them, more like circled them around, making a way for two humanoid-looking demons, a male and a female. They were clad in black robes and the woman wore a cloak with a purple flower embroidered on it. The tall and spindly-looking male, probably their leader, had entered their little classroom confidently, outstretching his hand towards them with a wicked grin on his face, reciting his own lines in what must have been the demon language.

_"_ _This is the first time I have seen anybody being cursed… without a ritual, at that!"_ Konekomaru thought, looking at Mrs. Angeline who was now lying on the ground, breathing raggedly, her face contorted in pain. Strange black symbols were visible on her skin, pulsing slightly. They were arranged in a pattern which strongly resembled a spider web. Still, Konekomaru couldn't help but admire the teacher. _"Whatever she did, it somehow interrupted the demon's chants, so in the end, only she and Bon ended up cursed."_ he thought, then swiftly concentrated on the barrier again. The black-clad demon was standing right in front of him, one hand clasped behind his back, the other leaning on a big, sealed ceramic tank. A cape was obscuring his face, but his eight yellow glowing eyes were still well visible. Only now, the wicked smile was replaced by lips contorted in displeasure. Something was happening outside, and he seemed to be waiting for the outcome of the events. _"Still, this is not good, not good at all… They attacked us but haven't really attempted to finish us off for some reason. For now, at least. They are waiting for something, holding the position. Or maybe they know we will not be able to hold the barrier for long and do not bother expending the effort to break it. Or are we meant to be just hostages, a bait? This could very well be a trap set for Rin. And knowing Rin, he will walk right into it."_ the teenage-boy sighed. _"I wonder what happened to Thea, too… Rin's always late, but her? Oh man, we could really use her healing skills right now. Maybe she could at least do something about that poison… And about Izumo's familiars…"_ he regarded the two fox-demons with concern. As always, Izumo had been quick to react and summoned her familiars to aid them in the fight. Mike and Uke had been of great help, having taken care of one half of the demons, buying them time to establish a barrier. Unfortunately, something must have happened to the foxes during the fight, because they got tired after a few seconds, their movements becoming sluggish and disoriented. They too were laying on the ground, dazed and surprisingly calm while Izumo petted them gently, trying to find out what was wrong. When she had received no response, she had joined Konekomaru in reciting, boosting the barrier.

"Still standing, little humans?" the male demon asked mockingly, pronouncing the words with a strong accent. Konekomaru didn't bother to answer. He knew that the demon was probably just toying with him, testing his limits - he certainly seemed powerful enough to tear through his barrier with some time and effort on his part. However, Konekomaru refused to make it that easy for him. He hoped that if he held the barrier long enough, somebody would notice their presence. Also, it was the only thing that cloaked them all from the poisonous fumes. "Tsk, just wait till the others arrive! You're going down!" Izumo gritted out, causing the demon to grin. "Hardly." "No, no. You are going down 'hard' - that's how you pronounce it, you bastard." the girl with twin-tails glared at the demon, unable to stop herself from taunting him. She was _furious._ Something happened to her dear familiars; her friends and the teacher were all paralyzed and in pain, and the only way for them to fight was to keep their barrier in place. "You should know your place, puny wench." the demon answered, raising his hand, then suddenly one of the wolves started snarling. Konekomaru tensed and from the point where he stood, he could see Rin peeking through one of the windows. He had a surprised expression on his face, then started running away. The demon thundered something in the demon language again, pointing at the door. In a blink of an eye, almost all demons rushed out of the cottage house. _"Way to sneak in, Rin…"_ Konekomaru thought and in the same moment, he could hear Izumo facepalming herself.

Abruptly, loud explosions roared outside of the cottage, almost completely masking the howling, screeching and roaring sounds the demons were making. The cottage shook and their ears rang. Konekomaru smiled - the demon noises were not the sound of frenzy, but of agony. Soon, the explosions were replaced by blue flames and sounds of shooting. Two shots, pause. Two shots, pause. Two shots, pause. Flash of blue light and two shots again, followed by a huge explosion. The teenage boy had trouble keeping up the barrier because of all the excitement and of the scenery in front of him. He could see Rin and also Thea fighting their way towards the cottage house, skillfully covering each other's back, removing their enemies almost with ease. He almost forgot to keep an eye on the demon clad in black, who had apparently been chanting all this time. After maybe a minute or so, the demon indicated for the three remaining spider demons to take the strange tank, move out of the cottage and attack. Soon, Konekomaru could hear Rin screaming. He appeared drenched and his fire was extinguished. "No way! Holy water?!" Izumo suddenly exclaimed, confirming Konekomaru's fears. He nodded nervously. _"They sure came prepared."_ he thought, his frustration rising when he spotted Rin wrapped in a spider web, struggling against it, but unable to burn it down. "We need to do something…" he whispered. "Do not even think about it. Make a move and your friends will die." the demoness spoke silently, threateningly, pointing at the group lying on the ground, not leaving the place she had been standing the whole time. Konekomaru gritted his teeth and looked out of the window, just as Izumo did. The demoness regarded them with a curious, perplexed look, tapping her finger on her lips, pondering how easily it was to keep them in check by threatening to kill a few weaklings… However, she said nothing more.

The demon in black cloak stepped outside and the moment he spotted Thea among the dust and what remained of his underlings, he outstretched his hand towards her. However, his haughty, triumphant expression was soon replaced by a confused one as his spell fell apart. He waved his hand again, aiming the curse at the blonde, but she remained unaffected. His eight eyes widened in astonishment. _"Ludicrous! Impossible!"_ he stood there stupefied, trying to process just what was happening. The moment Thea noticed the demon standing there, she turned towards him and shot. Dark red color sprayed from the demon's chest and he cried out in pain. The blonde tried to reload the weapon as fast as she could, but the demon teleported right in front of her, ripped the shotgun out of her hands and threw it away. Then, he grabbed her at her neck firmly, his eight yellow eyes fixing her disturbingly while he uttered something in the demon language again. Thea wriggled in his grasp while Rin kept shouting, calling the demon names, feeling infuriatingly helpless - drenched in holy water and held firmly in yet another net. Just his luck. Despite the unnerving situation, the blonde reminded herself to remain calm. Instead of thrashing around in an attempt to free herself, she swiftly put her hand to the demon's head and her eyes shone in golden hues. The demon suddenly cried out, clutching his head with his left hand while his right hand became sluggish and limp all of a sudden, so he had to let go of the grasp. He couldn't even stand properly, as his right leg gave up under him, too. And still he tried to grab the girl somehow. In the very same moment, Konekomaru could see the demoness stand up from her place, readying herself to aid her companion. And so, he put all of his powers into boosting the barrier and expanding its perimeter, blocking her way. She shot him an irritated look but before she could possibly act, her eyes widened at the sight of a brilliant light coming from outside. Konekomaru and Izumo turned, only to see the demon in black together with the spiders disappear within a translucent glow coming from Thea. In that moment, the demoness stepped back with a look of sheer panic and fright. Then, she turned on her heel and started running, leaving the cottage through the window on the other side of the fight.

"Wow! That was soooo cool!" Rin exclaimed, finally freeing himself from the degenerating spider web, then Thea swiftly worked on healing his holy water induced burns. "What did you do to that guy?" "Not now, Rin…" the blonde said panting, removing her ear plugs, then pointed towards the cottage. "Oh, right. On my way." the half-demon nodded and started running towards the cottage. After Konekomaru had warned him about the poisonous plants surrounding the cottage, Rin burnt them all down in a surge of blue flames, then entered. "Finally…" Konekomaru exhaled with relief, then let go of his barrier. "You know, Rin, you should really start showing up on time to our lessons." Izumo chastised, then turned towards Thea who followed shortly after Rin. "And you should know better than to pick up his bad habits. Where were you, anyway?" the twin-tailed girl humped in irritation, then turned her attention towards her familiars, soothing them. The accused duo just gaped in disbelief, then Thea started gesturing around in imitation. "Rin! Thea! Thank you so much for coming and rescuing us. - Oh, sure, no problem, Izumo. That's what friends are for…" Thea intoned sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Excuse her, Thea… she's just nervous because her familiars got hurt." Konekomaru said apologetically. "Honestly, I think it was a very lucky coincidence that you both were late today. You might have ended up trapped with us. But enough of chit-chat, we need to help them." he pointed towards the lot lying on the ground. Thea swiftly nodded her head and let her friend explain what had happened to everyone.

"All right. Shiemi is out of danger, she's just unconscious now. She will definitely need to take some muscle relaxants, though. The poison she breathed in seems to have paralyzed her body. I unknotted the most important muscles - her heart and lungs were contorted in cramps. She would need the medicine if she were to move around soon." Thea said, then swiftly moved towards Bon and the teacher. "Oh… that's not really a health condition…what…" she gulped, unsure about what to do. "It's a curse." Konekomaru said once he caught his breath. "Their bodies are not really 'hurt', but trust me, the pain they are feeling right now is quite real. We need to dispel it." "And you know how?" Rin's eyes widened. "I don't, but I can cast some purifying wards until we find help. Rin, I need to stay here and start with the purifying chants right now…" "I understand. Don't you worry, we'll go and send someone over asap." the half-demon encouraged, showing his friend thumbs up, then turned towards Izumo. "You coming with us?" "No. I'm staying, too. Somebody has to watch over him while he does his Aria stuff. And I can feel many demons around, though none nearly as strong as these had been. They can still attack anytime." Izumo said, then turned towards Rin and Thea. "So, you'd better hurry up and send some help, OK?" she pinned them both with a stare, then turned towards the blonde. "Thea… Before you go, I know you are not a vet, but…" she said nervously, patting the little fox familiars. "Of course." came a calming voice as Thea knelt and lay her hand on the injured animals.

"They were not hurt badly, it's just scratches and bites really… but something's wrong, I can tell. They are completely out. They are not even speaking to me." Izumo started explaining while Thea kept searching their bodies for any clues. "Did they breathe in the poison, too? Or ate the plant per any chance?" she furrowed her brows. "No, not that I know of…" Izumo shook her head, then suddenly, Mike started growling and barked at Thea while she was inspecting him. "Ssssh, Mike, calm down, it's just Thea." Izumo patted him on the back gently. Suddenly, Thea's eyes widened as she saw the saliva dripping from Mike's maul. In an instant, both familiars found themselves trapped in Thea's binding circle. "H-hey, what's that for?!" Izumo exclaimed, only to be pushed back by her blonde friend. "Don't get any closer." Thea then clasped her hands to Izumo's head and while she was running her swift check, she asked. "Were you scratched anywhere? Or bitten?" "No, I'm fine. Now what's the big deal? They need treatment, release them and…" Izumo protested, but Thea cut in. "Listen to me. I think they have rabies, Izumo. Very advanced state." "What? No way… That's…" her voice faltered, and she covered her mouth. "For now, I can only put them to sleep and bind them, so they do not end up attacking you. We'll send help over. Until then, do not approach or touch them." Thea said, trying to sound as encouraging as possible while her head kept reminding her about the disturbing fact that most animals die within ten days when infected with that viral disease. Considering how swift the symptoms manifested, their time might be even more limited - she could feel their spinal cord was already inflamed. She exhaled, bringing herself to focus. "All right. Before we leave, here…" Thea's eyes shone golden again, and to surprised gasps, she restored Izumo's and then also Konekomaru's energy and swept away their tiredness. Finally, she left with Rin, unknowingly leaving her friends behind in a state of utmost befuddlement.

OoO

"It should be somewhere around here." Thea whispered, tip-toeing (or as close as one could get to that in military boots) on the cold marble floor, keeping herself close to the wall, carefully watching for the runes which would mark the Warding room. She and Rin had managed to sneak into one of the Academy halls, mostly avoiding the fighting, despite how much the half-demon had wanted to join it and help out. According to Thea's words, he would need all the power he had in order to make her plan work. _"You'd better hurry up, teach'."_ Rin thought, hoping that Mr. Doi, one of their Aria teachers they had met in the hallway, would reach their friends in the training area no. 5 soon. They had also asked him to find a Tamer on his way, so Izumo's familiars can be treated.

"Ah, there it is! The door to the right." the blonde pulled Rin at his sleeve, leading him to… an empty wall? "Uhm, Thea… There's no door." Rin scratched his head in confusion, looking the wall up and down, completely oblivious to the dimly shining purple runes which were making up the frame of the tall door. "What do you mean? It's right in front of us." the girl gestured in circles, as if enveloping the door with her hands. "It's just a wall." "Well, it kinda looks like it's drawn on the wall… let's just go." Thea prompted, entering the Warding room, causing her friend to whistle in surprise. To his eyes, it looked like the blonde just reached for an invisible handle and the stone wall opened to the inside. "No way! How did you…" he jumped up a little as the lanterns in the room came alight. "Rin, hurry up." Thea waved with her hand towards the oval, elevated platform at the end of the long hall. The half-demon followed swiftly, taking in the new environment. "Wow… Thea, what is this place?" Rin inquired - he honestly thought that he had already discovered every interesting place at the Academy. "The Warding room. It's where Mephisto maintains the barrier and wards. A security system of sorts…" came an almost absent-minded answer, as Thea inspected the platform, then turned to pick up some play cards scattered around on the floor. "A security system? Why… isn't that something we Exorcists should know about in the first place?!" he exclaimed grumpily while Thea just exhaled. "It's a secret, Rin. That's why I couldn't tell Mr. Doi where we were headed to - apparently, only a few people know about its existence… I don't know who does, so I think it a good idea to keep it a secret." "OK… But if it's such a 'secret', how do _you_ know about it?" Rin tilted his head to the side, fixing her with a curious look. "I kind of… found it. Accidentally. And since I was already here, Mephisto showed me around." the girl just shrugged and continued her search for more play cards. "And how did you find it? I mean, it's just an empty wall…" "I felt Mephisto casting spells in here. You know I can feel auras, right? And then, there's the runes on the wall, so… Oh, man, these two are completely torn!" Thea frowned as she picked up the damaged Jack of Spades and Queen of Clubs. "What runes?" Rin asked again and this time, the blonde rolled her eyes and approached the half-demon with an annoyed expression on her face. "Runes, Rin. Right at the entrance. Now, could you please focus? I really need your help here." "Alright, what should I do?" the teenage boy asked, suppressing the number of questions which waited impatiently to be answered.

"Listen. We are going to try and restore Mephisto's barrier. So, here, pick a card." she said and held the deck out in front of him. "Seriously?" "Just do it." Thea prompted. "Fine, fine, let me see. I wanna an Ace for sure!" he started rummaging through the cards, moving some dried-up vines out of the way until he found one. "OK, now, concentrate on the card and just imagine your energy flowing into it. It starts shining once you pour in enough of it." she explained as best as she remembered. "Wait, that's it? No chanting? No weird gesturing around?" "No, the cards are already enchanted - or so Mephisto told me. Just give it a try." came an encouraging nod, bringing the half-demon to concentrate. "Alright, here it goes!" he called out, outstretching the hand with the card up while making jinxing gestures with the other hand, adding some eerie sounds for effect. Thea couldn't help but giggle at his showmanship. Rin always seemed to be so confident, no matter what he was about to attempt - be it a completely new, unknown technique. Soon, the play card burst with beautiful blue light. The blonde gaped at it in astonishment. _"Amazing, he did it so easily…"_ she thought, remembering herself failing miserably when she had attempted it. "Whoa!" Rin exclaimed as he too regarded the card, but it was for completely different reasons than Thea thought. "Wow! Good job, Rin! You did it! Oh, I'm so glad you did it! I knew it would work with someone as strong as you, but… Rin?" the blonde cheered, then she looked at her friend who was rubbing his eyes, then yawned audibly. "What's the matter?" "I… I feel kinda tired. Like when you skip your sleep, you know? For a long time…" "Well, the card is supposed to suck up your energy, so… maybe this is the effect it leaves?" she guessed. "Right. OK, let's do another one." Rin said, picking up another card from the deck.

Five cards were pulsing with Rin's energy by the time he found himself slumped on the ground, clutching the sixth card in front of him with a look of utmost concentration on his face. However, irritation soon replaced it as the half-demon found himself unable to continue. "I don't get it! Why doesn't the stupid card work?!" he pouted while fighting the terrible feeling of exhaustion. "Maybe we have to do it in some order? Here, try the hearts again." she handed over the card and her friend tried to light it again, but with no effect. Only one single symbol in the middle of the card pulsed dimly in hues of blue. "I don't think the order is the problem…" Rin started with a grimace. "Then maybe the way you hold it? Or maybe I should place the cards to the replica of the Academy?" she thought, picking up the pulsing cards, and placed them on the platform. The cards started levitating and each one of them took their place at some place or another around the Academy area. The tempo of their pulses changed slightly, too. "See? It's working. This is exactly how it looked when Mephisto casted it. Except the color, that is… Anyway, try again." Thea said enthusiastically, cheering for Rin again.

The half-demon concentrated and poured all the energy he could muster in the card. Blackness momentarily overcame his sight and he had to lean on one hand to keep himself from sprawling on the floor. "Rin!" In a few seconds, the blonde was at his side, helping him to sit. "OK, that's enough. I think you need a break." Her friend just scoffed. "Dammit… I don't think I can do this anymore, Thea…" he admitted reluctantly, pinning the platform with an intense stare, unwilling to look Thea in the eye. _"What the hell is going on? I've never been this tired before! To think that the old clown can light every friggin' card… Tsk… so irritating."_ "... maybe you should try it." he shoved the card towards the blonde. "Oh, no, I can't really…" she shook her head. "Why not? It's nothing complicated. Besides… I'm just… ah, dammit, I'm drained, alright?" the half-demon admitted reluctantly, trying to look at anything but Thea, feeling like he was letting her down. The blonde gulped nervously, anxiety rising inside of her. _"No way… but I thought that Rin would be able to pull this off. We only have five cards up at work. That's definitely not enough for the barrier to work properly. I certainly can't light them… But… he's telling the truth. His aura feels truly weakened now. If he tries it again, he might actually fall unconscious, maybe even die of exhaustion… Oh God, what do we do now?"_ "Just give it a try." Rin's voice tore through her panicked train of thoughts. "Fine." she nodded, telling herself that they had nothing to lose. The blonde inhaled deeply and concentrated on the card in her hand. She couldn't help but smile - it was the symbol of her last failure, her 'beloved' Queen of Hearts. Summoning her energy, Thea's eyes soon shone brightly as she poured it into the card. And soon, the Queen of Hearts started pulsing with golden hues.

Thea gasped, suddenly feeling as if she too ditched a few nights of sound sleep. However, it was well worth it. "It worked… Rin, it worked!" the blonde jumped up with laughter. "Did you see? I can't believe it! Oh my God. Oh my God! I actually did it!" she smiled at Rin, who was just gaping at her - his jaw actually dropped. "Yeah, I didn't see that coming, either." came a soft giggle and she brushed her hair away from her face. "Thea…" Rin pointed with his finger towards Thea's feet, his eyes wide. The blonde followed his finger and soon, her eyes almost popped out as she spotted the deck of cards, only they were no longer on the floor, but slowly levitating towards the replica of the Academy where they arranged themselves. All of them were shining brightly and pulsing strongly, even the cards Rin had lit up changed colors from blue to golden. "What… how…?" Thea gasped, as she saw the pulsing cards casting a bubble-like barrier over the small construction. She couldn't believe it. There it was - Mephisto's barrier was up again, despite the two missing cards which had been damaged. The girl wasn't honestly sure how she should feel about what just happened. On one hand, she restored Mephisto's barrier. On the other hand, _she_ restored Mephisto's barrier! That shouldn't have been even possible. That was the very reason she had brought _Rin_ into the Warding Room.

"What the hell?! That was friggin' amazing!" Rin's voice suddenly interrupted her from her stupor. "How on Earth did you light those blasted cards?" Thea blinked nervously, then stuttered, unable to process the events. "I… you see… I have no idea." she giggled, running her fingers through her golden locks. "And how come you are still standing? I lit five of them and I'm out…" he shook his head in disbelief. "I really don't know, Rin. It just worked, alright?" "But how can it 'just work'? You know how much power it takes, don't you? So, how are you so strong all of a sudden? Is that because of the special training with Yukio? 'Cuz if it's so, then I'm signing in for one, too. So?" Rin kept bombarding the blonde with further questions, until she stopped pacing around and threw her hands up. "I. Don't. Know! Jesus, Rin, I'm telling you - I'm just as surprised as you. Now, can we please focus on the task at hand?" The half-demon cocked his head in confusion. "What task? The barrier is restored. Do you mean to join the fight? 'Cuz I don't think I can even stand up right now…" he said a little solemnly, angry at his useless state. "Yes, the barrier is up. Whoever destroyed it, once they learn it has been restored, they might come here to disable it again. So, I suggest we hold the ground and protect this place." Thea shared her plan and Rin nodded in agreement. "Sounds good to me. Only - I can barely move, dammit." he said, trying to use his katana as a leverage to get up. "Wait, let me see." her soft hands touched Rin's cheeks and he could feel the tiredness leaving his body. "So, how do you feel? Any better?" she asked, and Rin started laughing. "Like gulping down three energy drinks in a row." he grinned, then joined Thea in setting the traps in front of and inside the Warding room.

OoO

"My, my, am I interrupting the execution?" Mephisto narrowed his eyes at the scenery in front of him, his outrage well hidden behind a nonchalant but wicked smile, the tension in his every fiber perfectly concealed. He had just arrived in the US and was standing in a large aula where the Duke of Greed, disguised as a famous evangelist and pastor, preferred to hold speeches. The place was swarming with mashou demons and ghouls in forms of rotting canines which were padding around in a restless fashion. In the center, blood dripped from three crucified bodies, various symbols carved on their skins. More and more low-class demons lured by the dark energy were gathering around the place, covering it in a thick miasma. All signs hinted at some terrible summoning ritual. Mammon was thrashing wildly among a group of four persistent individuals, who - judging by their uniforms and almost zealous expressions on their faces - undoubtedly belonged to the Exorcists of the Grigori branch. Another pair of Exorcists stood aside. One was tall with long brown hair tied in a tail, and he wore several richly ornamented tomes attached to his uniform. He was writing something into a small notebook, completely undisturbed by the environment. The other one was rather lean, the small dagger at his belt and a cape he wore gave him a hunter-like look. He was patting the head of a Black Dog demon familiar absent-mindedly and inspected the scenery in front of him curiously.

The moment the Duke of Greed spotted his master, he ceased his efforts to free himself from the Exorcists' grasps at once and fell to his knees, head bowing deeply so it was touching the ground. "M-my Lord… My Lord, this isn't my doing. I swear it. By my demon's heart, I swear it!" Beads of sweat were rolling down his temples, his body shaking with fear. He knew very well what kind of fate awaited anyone of Samael's vassals, should they disobey the terms and conditions which bound a demon residing in Assiah. He would be a fool to break the rules, not to mention _harm_ any of Samael's beloved humans. And yet, there he was, kneeling in front of the demon lord he feared the most from all of the hellish rulers. While some of them showed ruthlessness, cruelty, even delight in torture, Samael had his own sense of 'justice' and could be particularly inventive when it came to punishments.

"My apologies. It would appear that I missed the trial. Then again, Mammon probably missed his own trial as well." Mephisto snorted, holding the sour gazes of the four Exorcists meaningfully. He took one step closer, but a huge piece of metal suddenly blocked his traces. "That's far enough, demon!" came a warning, as Arthur, the current Paladin and the honored leader of the Angelic Legion, pointed Excalibur at him. "Lower your weapon, Angel. This is not the way gentlemen discuss matters of importance." Mephisto pushed the huge sword away with his umbrella in a gesture that resembled fending off a fly, his lips curving up ever so slightly, despite the severity of the situation. "Don't you order me around, you filth! Look at this bloodbath! The Grigori will finally see you for what you really are. Nothing is worth making deals with a monster." the Paladin spat, his nose wrinkling in disgust and outrage, only to be interrupted by Mammon who suddenly stood up from the ground in a swift motion, baring his fangs at him. "How dare you speak like that to my master, lowly human?! You cannot even comprehend what he…" Mammon thundered in outrage but stopped as soon as Mephisto held his hand up. "Enough, Mammon. Silence yourself." the Lord of Time ordered, then turned his attention back to the Paladin. "Goodness me, you really took the 'don't judge or you will be judged' part literally and jumped right to execution…" he shook his head lamentably, then arched one eyebrow. "Have you skipped the investigation part as well?" the Lord of Time continued to mock, fully enjoying the look at Arthur's increasingly bulging eyes and reddening face.

"There's nothing to investigate! The evidence is clear. Not only does this despicable demon pose as a holy man, now he organizes sacrificial rituals in his name, too?! Step aside, Pheles, divine justice awaits this demon. And I _shall_ deliver it." Mephisto rolled his eyes at yet another of Arthur's theatrical rantings on that topic and decided to step in before the Paladin could spout any further nonsense. "Stop acting so foolishly, Angel. In case you haven't noticed, you are about to execute the only witness we have." "What are you talking about?! He's the one who is responsible for this slaughter!" the Paladin hissed and pointed a finger at Mammon angrily. "That we do not know just yet. What we do know, though, is that he's the one who called for my aid in the first place. Isn't that right, Mammon?" Mephisto eyed his vassal, who nodded swiftly. "Yes, my Lord. And I'm deeply honored you arrived in person to investigate this matter." "And you expect me to believe a demon's word?!" came a scoff from Arthur. "Oh, dear, don't be absurd. I wouldn't expect that kind of open-mindness from you. But I strongly suggest you go through some evidence before you start cutting heads off." the Lord of Time said, throwing his cell phone casually towards Arthur, then moved onward to inspect the aula, giving the Paladin some time to inspect the urgent message he had received from Mammon. "Now then, correct me if I'm wrong, but you gentlemen are supposed to be the Vatican special _investigation_ force…" Mephisto pointed his umbrella at the six Exorcists surrounding Mammon, making circling movements with his umbrella as if to envelope the whole group. "... so, how about you start doing your job and help me secure some clues?" The said gentlemen scoffed at him or shot the Lord of Time particularly annoyed looks, except the one who kept scribbling into his small note without sparing him a second glance. Surprisingly, the Exorcist with a Black Dog familiar nodded silently and followed Mephisto to the crime scene. The moment Arthur saw that, he rushed off after them, keeping a very close eye on Mephisto's movements.

_"_ _Such atrocity…"_ the Lord of Time frowned when he inspected the corpses while avoiding the blood on the ground. _"...supposedly done in Mammon's name…"_ he pondered, then inhaled deeply, letting his instincts guide him. Being the Lord of Time came with some nice perks - he could get a feel of how old things or people were, when approximately an event occurred or was about to occur. And in case he had not acquired a person's consent to enter his or her memories, he could still catch a few glimpses of the past, especially if they were tied to very strong emotions. And so, Mephisto inhaled deeply and dove back to the past, aiming for the last twenty-four hours. Ghostly-looking, blurred images sprung in front of him, appearing and disappearing in a blink of an eye. "The ritual took place in the night… and Mammon did not set a foot in here until shortly before seven in the morning, which is perhaps fifteen minutes before I arrived. From what I can see, he did not even approach the stage where the corpses are." Mephisto said thoughtfully. The Black Dog was padding around him and the stage, sniffing around while his master crouched to inspect something on the floor. Soon, the Black Dog returned to the Exorcists, who stood up and nodded. "That is correct. Umbra did not catch that demon's scent around here." "Pff… why would she? The demon doesn't need to do the dirty work himself. He could have just stood and watched from over there." the Paladin argued.

The Lord of Time had to admit that the annoying Paladin had a point. Well, he just had to throw in some more evidence. After all, finding Mammon innocent was in Mephisto's own interest as well. He was the ruler of Assiah and any demon who decided to reside in that place was obliged to abide by his rules. Mephisto would not suffer any disobedience on his precious playground. Arthur also completely failed to understand that any kind of 'divine' justice he would unleash on Mammon would be just an appetizer before the _real_ punishment came. Mammon knew that whatever punishment Mephisto dealt would be much worse. Had he been guilty, he would not have summoned him there. His musings were interrupted by the Tamer Exorcist's remark. "The footprints and the smell indicate that there were thirteen demons present. Strange… more demons than victims?" he rubbed his chin thoughtfully and Mephisto's lips curled up - he kept missing the exact number of demons due to the blurred images of the past. "Well, aren't you a useful one. Say, would you happen to be familiar with demonic symbols?" he inquired. "Semiology is not my specialty, that's more of an Aria field of expertise." the man answered, looking back over his shoulder and the Exorcist who had been scribbling into his tiny notebook suddenly ceased his work and approached the investigating group. "I am still deciphering the symbols. However, none of them seems to be hinting at the Demon of Greed." he said earnestly, then added. "The usual symbols associated with strength the demon is supposed to gain by this ritual are also not present. It does not look like a standard sacrificial ritual… too many spells were included for something so straightforward." "Any hypothesis?" the demon lord encouraged. "A curse." came a careful answer from the supposed Aria Exorcist.

"My, oh, my. Just what are you two doing in the Vatican's branch? Your talents are completely wasted there." Mephisto shook his head lamentably, then focused on the inscriptions and carvings in the human bodies, an annoyed grimace slowly, but inevitably appearing on his face. "Correct and correct again. See this symbol here?" the headmaster pointed with his umbrella on one of the poor victims. "Yes, the infinity symbol. I was wondering about its significance…" the scholarly type nodded. "Well, let me save some of our precious time. That is the symbol of The Lord of Time - yours truly." he grinned and bowed elaborately, flashing his white cloak in the process. "So, it's your doing?! These innocent people died because of you… Just so you could curse someone? And now you even confess!" the Paladin thundered, smiling as if Christmas came early, pointing his sword once again at Mephisto. "Bravo, Angel! You are a shining beam of hope for the younger generation of Exorcists that even someone without any deduction abilities can make it to a Paladin~" Mephisto replied in amusement, noticing the even more amusing expressions of the two capable Exorcists, whose cheeks were slightly red as they were fighting the heat of embarrassment. _"The Germans definitely have a word for it… Ah, yes, the 'Fremdschämen'. Such a lovely language, indeed…"_ the demon grinned inwardly while the Paladin fixed him with an affronted look.

"Sir, it would appear that this… uhm… The Lord of Time is actually the one who has been cursed." the Aria Exorcist noted. "Indeed… See? I'm the victim here, Arthur." Mephisto said in feigned distress, his hand put over his forehead in a helpless gesture. The Paladin cracked an amused grin. "You? Cursed? Oh, and what would the curse be?" he demanded. "The curse of 'bad luck'. Can you not tell? It has already taken effect - I had to see your annoying face today, not to mention the exemplary display of utter incompetence…" the demon mocked, catching the soft sound of Mammon's struggle to keep his laughter contained. "Why you… you… oh, Heavens, what's with that annoying sound?" Arthur exclaimed as the sounds of some weird Japanese music hit his ears. "Ah, that would be for me." Mephisto reached for his phone and inspected it briefly. He certainly lost some color but luckily not his poker face. Then, he tucked it carefully into his pocket. "Now then, I apologize, but I must be on my way. We shall see each-other again at Mammon's trial." he shot a swift glance towards his vassal, who nodded in appreciation. "I do hope that you will be able to gather some solid evidence by that time. If not, just say the word and the investigation team from the Japanese branch will gladly come to assist you." Mephisto grinned, then snapped the fingers on both his hands, producing two of his business cards. "As for you two, you might want to reconsider your career paths. Whatever they pay you, I'll double." he winked and disappeared after the short 'Eins~Zwei~Drei~', leaving the group no room to react.

He had to hurry. As unlikely as it seemed, the ritual was truly aimed against him and he really had been cursed with bad luck, which, if he was not mistaken, was supposed to last until midnight. _"At least now I know why things didn't go the way I had planned today…"_ he mused, considering his missed date with Thea… among other series of unfortunate events, of course. Still, that particular theater play he had booked the tickets for was the last one in the season and he had been looking forward to the cast. However, there were more pressing manifestations of his bad luck. The attack on his Academy, for instance… _"Well, this is not the kind of report I was hoping for, Gin…"_ he sighed, remembering Gin's urgent text message, then poured some more energy into the teleportation spell, hurrying to protect his Academy. He didn't like the way the situation had been evolving so far. Not a bit. _"First there is an emergency I need to tend to personally, not to mention with the Grigori involved, then I learn that the True Cross Academy has been under attack during my absence… Tsk, coincidence? I don't think so."_ he concluded, trying really hard to keep his mind calm and focused, instead of spinning blood-boiling scenarios about the danger his beloved lady might be in at the moment. He shouldn't have sent her to join her evening class.

OoO

_"_ _What is the meaning of this?!"_ Mephisto's brows furrowed with rising annoyance as his path was blocked even after the third time he had tried to teleport to the Academy. Something had been preventing him from entering. _"Interesting… So, the enemy placed a spell against time-space shift near the Academy? If that's the case, they must already be waiting for me. I'd better avoid the main entrance."_ With that thought in mind, the demon teleported a little further away, landing in one of the nearby parks right in front of the training area no. 7. The sight in front of him took his breath away. "Satan's Flames… What in the world…" his eyes widened the moment he took in the scenery in front of him. A number of the hall windows were shattered, some walls and structures collapsed. Demons and Exorcists were fighting each-other in a bloody slaughter, their distant screams and screeches audible to Mephisto's sensitive ears. All of that obscured by a huge barrier placed around his Academy, radiating in golden hues, pulsing with a very familiar energy. _Her_ energy. He slowly approached it, then lifted his hand to touch it.

"My lord, don't." came Gin's warning voice as he emerged from the shadows under the nearby trees. "In case you are wondering if it lets you through…" he lifted his left hand meaningfully, revealing the severely scorched and burnt skin "... it won't. The spell must have been altered." thy spy added with a sour grimace, allowing his master some time to think the next inevitable actions through. Surprisingly though, the demon lord just started trembling and his lips curled up into a wicked smile, then burst into laughter. "My dear, sweet lady~. You never cease to amaze me. Such vibrant, colossal amount of power you have. Spectacular!" he clapped his hands enthusiastically, causing the poor secretary to gape at him in disbelief. "Sir… aren't you missing the point? She betrayed you!" "Oh yes, she most probably did." the demon lord nodded in acknowledgement. "Most _probably_?" Gin arched an eyebrow at his master skeptically, unable to comprehend that he would even question that fact at this point. "Just look at this." said Mephisto to Gin, gesturing towards the barrier. "I _am_ looking, Sir. Are _you_? Can you even see that barrier through those rose-tinted glasses of yours?!" Gin ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Look at the impressive touch she gave it - no poisoning, no dagger in the back, she just walked right in and took over the very representation of my power and status. What a grand scheme, indeed." the demon lord sighed, and the secretary started getting the feeling that his master might actually be impressed rather than furious.

"Satan's Flames, Samael! Don't tell me that you are still not giving up on the idea of winning her over and bringing her to our side?!" the secretary clenched his hands into fists in barely contained anger. "Gin… it has been _ages_ since I have met a unique being such as her. So thrillingly unpredictable, so powerful, and yet so absolutely charming and irresistible…" "... and so apparently eager to see to your demise?" Gin cut in again, only to be met with another smug grin but also a very strong, resolute gaze which offered no room for further arguments. "I am not giving up on her, Gin. Not until I am certain of the truth." "I… You really… Oh, by my demon's heart!" the secretary exclaimed, then covered his face with one hand and started laughing. "You know, your taste in women is becoming quite bothersome, Samael. From all the creatures that roam this universe, you had to pick the one who wants to kill you… and obviously has power to spare to do just that…" Gin shook his head disapprovingly as he resigned on further attempts to bring some sense to his enamored master. "What can I say, I like the challenge." Mephisto shrugged cheerfully, his eyes afire with anticipation. "That is no challenge, that is a suicide." the secretary remarked dryly, cutting a grimace. "Well, if that turns out to be the case, I have my ultimate technique at ready." the Lord of Time winked mischievously, clapping the stunned spy at his back in a friendly gesture, well aware just how much weight his last words bore. "Y-you would truly use _it_? The Aegis of Time?" came an awed question and Mephisto smiled even more broadly. "You bet I would. So, no interruptions. No matter what happens. Am I clear?" the demon lord arched an eyebrow importantly, only to be met by Gin's head nodding in understanding. "Excellent! Now then, onwards!" "Right behind you, your beastly magnificence…" the secretary bowed mockingly, shaking with low chuckles as they set off to the Academy through one of the alternative entrances.

The headmaster, of course, had a special key that would take him through a passage not covered by the barrier. When he stepped through the secret opening in one of the huge paintings in the Warding room, he heard a faint clicking sound. He stopped time right away, thankful for his enhanced demon reflexes. There, on the ground right under his right foot, a mine had been skillfully placed. And he has just set it off. _"Bad luck, indeed…"_ he frowned. _"To think she even knew of my secret passage… I really don't give her enough credit, do I?"_ Mephisto swiftly scanned his surroundings, noticing the rest of the explosives carefully set on the ground between the entrance door and the platform. Surprisingly, at the end of the long hall stood Rin with his sword drawn-out, his body engulfed in Satan's flames. And right in front of the platform stood _her_ \- the very reason for his internal turmoil, for the insane whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. The woman who had betrayed him and took his very beloved Academy from him. The woman whose motivations and intentions he had yet to learn. The woman, who, once again, completely took his breath away… There she stood, her golden locks in a wild disarray, a determined look in her beautiful chocolate-brown eyes. She was dirty, bloodied, barefoot… and absolutely gorgeous! Remnants of what he guessed must have once been a well-fitting, elegant white dress were hanging loosely on her, torn, scratched and almost completely red from blood. Most of it was not hers. Still, the Lord of Time felt most relieved for finding her unharmed, no matter the circumstances. Well, she looked _far_ from harmed or vulnerable with that shotgun in her hands and a belt full of cartridges fastened around her shoulder. The demon just chuckled and covered his face with one hand. _"Dear Lord, it looks bigger than her… Why, oh, why must you be so absolutely irresistible? I should be the one who leads humans into temptation, not the other way around. You charming little daredevil…"_ he shook his head in amusement as an idea occurred to him. An idea which he was sure would make Gin question his sanity. _"Ah, very well, since I'm already here, I might as well ask the burning question. After all, I still have my ultimate spell at ready should things turn out ugly. And I will learn the truth of things - no one bothers lying to the dead…"_ He unfroze Gin from his time stop and lifted a finger importantly. "Remember, _no_ interruptions." Having left the last instruction, he closed his eyes and let the time flow again, fully aware he was standing on the mine.

An explosion echoed through the Warding room, causing Rin and Thea to turn in his direction, alertness written over their faces. Immediately, a wave of pain hit his whole body, the shock almost rendering him unconscious. The Lord of Time peered through the settling dust, slightly dazed, his ears ringing. He was leaning on the wall in a strangely twisted sitting position. Every muscle in his body throbbed painfully and he could feel blood running down his nose and seeping through his clothes. "Mephisto!" he picked up Thea's horrified voice and soon, the familiar scent of honey and cinnamon clouded his senses. "Why?" he asked softly, laboriously, trying to remain conscious and listened carefully. Most of his enemies tended to reveal the reasons behind their actions if they believed him to be vulnerable enough. And he guessed that he probably couldn't have roughed himself up more effectively. "W-why did you… do this, Thea…" he looked her in the eye, waiting. "Mephisto…" Thea said in a startled voice, but then she shook her head, clenched her fists and her eyes shone golden. Her aura spread around her and he could suddenly feel a powerful surge of her energy hitting his body. Instead of the scorching light burning him to a crisp he had been expecting, his bones started mending and torn muscles forming back together. The demon gasped from the sudden exhilarating sensation. Even his demon regeneration abilities couldn't have prepared him for _this_. "Ssssh. …gonna be alright. Just a… a little longer… promise." his ears picked up the blonde's distressed voice. Mephisto could see her kneeling next to him, working on his injuries, trying to stop her hands from trembling with a visible effort. She looked positively worried. Mephisto's eyes widened in disbelief. _"Was um alles in der Welt… this doesn't feel like dying…. Quite on the contrary, really…. don't tell me that she actually… Is she trying to_ save _me? Thea, you…"_

"Rin… is right there… quickly!" she pointed to something further away and the half-demon ran off immediately, then came back and handed something to her, looking strangely pale. Mephisto hurt all over and he couldn't help but wince and hiss occasionally while Thea kept putting him back together. Literally. From the looks of it, she was trying to attach his torn off leg back to its proper place. It was bizarre seeing the white-faced Rin handing _his_ leg to Thea. "Hang in there, Mephisto. Please… just a little longer." she said, breathing heavily, her eyes scanning through the injuries as if she could see straight through the tissue. The Lord of Time soon felt much better. Actually, no. This wasn't just 'better'. He felt… absolutely amazing! Not only were his injuries gone, he no longer felt fatigued either. In fact, he felt _energized_. The amount of energy Thea kept transferring to him was incredible. _"By my demon's heart… What is happening to me… I haven't felt this well since…"_ he thought incredulously, his eyes wide from all the excitement. In a few moments, Thea interrupted the flow with an audible exhale. She then looked at Mephisto, pursed her lips and pulled him into a tight embrace. "Mephisto…" she said, breathing heavily, shaking all over. "Mephisto, I'm so sorry… I… I didn't know you would come from that… place or whatever that is… We set the mines with Rin so we could hold positions and retreat behind them, to protect this place, … I just… I didn't mean to harm you. I'm so very sorry…" she sobbed silently, holding him tightly.

_"_ _Gosh that was… so frightening! At least now I know why doctors shouldn't treat their friends or family members… I can't believe it; this has never happened to me before - my hands were shaking like crazy! I would have been completely useless with a scalpel…"_ Thea gulped, overwhelmed and completely shaken by the turn of events. However, there was something very strange about Mephisto's actions. Or rather, the lack of them. She was hugging him tightly, yet he did not pull her closer. In fact, he did not even move, nor had he shown her any other emotion apart from startlement. Alright, that would be an underestimation. He looked absolutely mind-blown. "Mephisto, are you alright?" Thea took the demon's face into her hands, inspecting it closely, searching for any injuries she might have missed. The Lord of Time shot up abruptly, his body practically trembling from all the energy, the adrenaline. He felt as if he had just eaten coffee beans. Tons of them. And then gulped it all down with a couple of energy drinks. "H-hey! Easy there, I have just patched you up. You need to lay down." Thea urged, pulling at his arm. "Yeah, you'd better listen to her. That was a pretty nasty wound you had… well, everywhere…" Rin added, drawing circles with his finger as he tried to point out the injuries.

The demon lord just looked at the blonde, then started pacing around a little further from them, his mind racing as he struggled to keep his barrier in place. It has been such a long time since he has felt at his peak. Now he could freeze an opening Gehenna gate with a snap of his fingers. If he wished so, he could stop the time in the whole Assiah for a few minutes, despite the number of high-class demons and Exorcists currently present on it. He knew he could. To be honest, he was quite tempted to find out right away. However, he settled for a simple restoration of his tattered attire. _"Wahnsinn… To think that all of that insane power was somehow restored by_ her _… Incredible! Just how is she still standing?"_ he kept pacing around, looking Thea up and down. He came to meet her so he could learn the motives and reasons of her betrayal, only to be caught off guard by her once again. But did she betray him? Why heal him, then? Why save him? And yet… she _saved_ him! She even looked genuinely _worried_ about him. He should have felt relieved and at ease. Instead, he was freaking-out inwardly, trying to determine just what exactly the puzzled-looking being standing in front of him was. He was not in control, he had no idea what was going on, and he was definitely _not_ used to that. "Mephisto, please calm down. What's going on?" Thea's soft, calming voice reached him as she approached. The demon regarded her closely, curiously. _"Answers… I need answers! That's it. I cannot postpone this any longer…"_

"What is going on? My, my… I should be the one asking that question, dear." he grinned, pacing around restlessly until he was practically teleporting from one place to another. "So, apart from mastering the Healing wave on a level I have never heard of - let alone _seen_ \- in my very long life, restoring my barrier and taking over my Academy, what other delightful secrets do you have up your sleeve?" he teleported right in front of her, making her jump up from the sudden motion. "Whoa there!" she said, trying to hold him in place by his shoulders. "What are you talking about? What secrets?" "Oh, don't be shy, my dear. Tell me, how come you couldn't light one single card back when I showed you around, yet here you are with the whole card set ablaze?" Mephisto pointed towards the platform. "I honestly don't know…" she started, but the demon cut in swiftly. "Don't belittle yourself, Thea. Why would you be hiding your full potential?" he leaned in closer, his fingers entwining. Thea opened her mouth but found herself at loss of words. She only knew that she was becoming quite affronted. "What?! Hiding? I'm not hiding anything!" she said defensively. "Your barrier was down, and I wanted to restore it. You told me yourself that it's like the Academy's defense system. Shouldn't I have done it? It seemed a reasonable course of action." she explained, then pointed towards the half-demon. "I brought Rin here in the first place, because I thought I couldn't possibly pull this off. But then, Rin got exhausted too, so I gave it a shot. And it worked. End of story." "Yeah, that's what happened. I was out after the fifth card, but she somehow made it work." Rin nodded, trying to support her.

Mephisto just chuckled and shook his head. "End of story? Goodness, no. Far from it. How about that _Maleficent_ wave you used on the Oni-demon during your training with Mr. Okumura? Does that ring a bell?" Mephisto raised an eyebrow, causing Thea's eyes to widen. Bingo! "The what?" Rin jumped right in. "The hell are you talking about you two?" the half-demon folded his arms, feeling somewhat excluded. "How do you… Oh, of course you would know. Somehow…" the blonde grimaced and exhaled, running her fingers through her hair. "Alright. I used it… the Maleficent wave. But I really didn't want to, I swear! Using my powers to injure or kill feels… just wrong. I wanted to avoid using the technique, but in that moment, when the demon was clutching my throat… My weapon was gone, I didn't know what else to do! It was the first thing that came to my mind. It's the closest thing to healing, just reversed… And you say it like it is a bad thing! I did what I could to survive the fight! What is wrong with using an improvised technique in a way I do not like resorting to? That was the _point_ of the training, no?!" Thea tried to explain as earnestly as she could, her hand on her chest. "Hold on. So, when you touched that guy in black when we fought back at the cottage house, you used your _Doctor_ powers or something? Was that it?" Rin inquired, slightly taken aback. And he was not the only one surprised. "The 'guy in black'?" Mephisto practically loomed over Thea, tapping a finger on his lip. "N-no… That was a different one. When I had fought the Oni-demon, I simulated a heart-attack. For the 'guy in black', I couldn't reach his heart very well, so I went for an aneurysm… Even small-scale injuries can be fatal." the blonde bit her lip nervously and brushed away her unruly hair again. Then, she summoned her courage again and prompted. "Mephisto, can't this wait? The Academy…"

"Interesting…" the demon said, disregarding her attempts to redirect the conversation to the task at hand. "And how come your powers are suddenly so strong, hmm?" the demon rubbed his beard, circling her around, his mouth working quicker than his brain. "Strong? I'm not… strong or… The teachers told me that my power level is slightly above average. And how would I know, anyway?! That's why I came to your 'noble institution' in the first place, remember? To find out more about my powers… to learn to understand and master them. _You_ are the one who is supposed to have the Whys and Hows, _I_ came to learn!" she answered, her frustration rising. The Lord of Time burst out with laughter. " _Master_ them?" he grinned, then put a gloved hand on her cheek. "My dear, from the looks of it, you leave masters of both Healing _and_ Maleficent waves in dust of shame. Now, the question is - why would you hide that fact?" he lifted her chin. "I'm not hiding anything! Why are you acting so weird? You _know_ I have healing powers. I've just used them on _you_ in case you haven't noticed! You-are- _welcome_ , by the way!" she humped and pulled away from him. "And yet, you didn't mention the extent of your powers during your training. You only told the teachers that you healed a little sting in Rin's chest." Mephisto pointed towards the half-demon. "Little? I never said it was little…" Thea protested, then Rin exclaimed. "A _little_ sting?! I had a friggin' hole in my chest! Like… this big!" the half-demon gestured at his chest. "You clearly wrote the word 'sting' into your mission report." Mephisto teleported right in front of Rin, who jumped up from the sudden motion as well, and stopped the time for everyone in Japan except the two of them, and Gin of course. "Cuz it _was_ a sting, alright?! The huge thing with a human face that crawled out from the pit happened to have a scorpion's tail. And it went straight through my chest. It was a hole bigger than my fist. Had it not been for Thea… She killed the demons and…" before Rin could finish the explanation, he was interrupted by Mephisto's 'Ein~Zwei~Drei~'.

"Come again? _She_ was the one who killed the demons?" Mephisto's eyebrows rose. "Oy, what did you do to her? Why would you freeze her like that?!" Rin exclaimed accusatively once he noticed what happened, rushing past him towards Thea. "Rin. I can understand why it wouldn't occur to _her_ to write it down in her report from the incident in the Tokyo university hospital. After all, she was still new at this and concentrated on reporting the patients' condition. However, that wasn't _your_ first mission report." the demon lord snapped his fingers, producing a piece of paper with Rin's scribbling on it. "How come that you would write practically an essay on the swarms of locusts - including the one that flew into your mouth - for a whole paragraph, yet you didn't find it important enough to mention that you were attacked by the Apocalypse Riders?" Mephisto fixed him with a displeased look. "The what?" Rin scratched his head in confusion, then snatched the report out of the demon's hand and tapped it. "Listen man, it's right here - blablabla, 'a _freakishly_ big grasshopper stung me and it hurt a looooot, but Thea killed it and healed me'." _"Oh… I see…"_ the demon lord face-palmed himself, then inhaled sharply, trying to remain calm. _"Of course, he wouldn't know what they were… And he's far from Aria to even bother reading about the creatures…"_ Mephisto ran his fingers through his hair. "Look, you clown, stop pulling out months old reports all of a sudden…" Rin thundered, pointing at him with his (for now) sheathed sword, but then suddenly jumped up as Thea moved.

She looked around slightly confused, then fixed the stunned demon lord with an angry expression and pointed a finger at him. "Youuu… Did you just… Did you just freeze me in time?!" she started towards Mephisto, only to find him backing off wide-eyed. "Unbelievable! Do you have any idea how _rude_ that is?! And after all I've done for you, too… I mean… I can totally understand that you have to leave for an urgent matter, so I won't complain about the spoiled date night… But seriously… Your Academy was attacked, and I rushed in and fought demons and somehow restored your barrier. I even fixed your leg… I healed you! Alright, so you stepped on a mine I had set and I'm really sorry for that. But still… I did all those things hoping to help you out and not a word of thanks from you?! You demon, you… Head-idiot-master-demon! Showering me with weird questions and interrogating me like some kind of a _criminal_!" she finished with hands clenched in fists, her aura pulsing widely around her as she was waiting for some kind of a response. When none came, her eyes widened too, and she stepped back. "Oh… I see…like a criminal… You know what? I don't need this crap…" she turned away from the demon, picking up her shotgun and the belt with cartridges. "I'm going home." "Wait, Thea, I'm coming with…" Rin tried to follow, but the blonde cut him off. "No, thank you. I've had just enough of your kind today!" "Y-you mean… demons?" the teenage boy looked at her friend a little sadly, guilt written all over his face. "NO! I mean MEN!" she shouted, her eyes filled with unshed tears, then slapped the door behind her.

"What the hell, Mephisto?!" Rin turned to face his stupefied headmaster and started shouting angrily. "That was so not cool! She's been worried sick about you all this time; thought you might be in some kind of a danger… and you… You see your girl bloodied and dirty and you don't even bother to ask if she's alright?! The hell is wrong with you?!" he pointed his sheathed katana at the demon, only to receive the very same response as Thea had - none. "Well? Aren't you going after her?! You _know_ you screwed up big time, don't you?!" the teenage boy waved his hands at Mephisto. "Did you freeze yourself in time as well or something?" he poked the demon with his sword impatiently. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" Suddenly, the Lord of Time regarded him with such a cold, doom-promising stare that it sent shivers down his spine. Rin gulped and backed off swiftly. "Tsk… Fine! Stare all you want, 'cuz I'm outta here." he finally said and rushed off the room, his loud footsteps echoing through the hall as he called for Thea, searching the corridor for the blonde.

"My Lord… What on Earth were you thinking?" Gin stepped out from the secret passage behind the huge painting where he had been patiently and obediently hiding until then, even though every fiber in his body had screamed at him to help his lunatic of a master. The scenes that had played out in front of his eyes felt almost unbelievable. However, he had to give the girl a credit. She just managed to surprise them both by _not_ being a spy, traitor or anything even remotely harm-intending to his master. In fact, after what he had seen, he couldn't help but to feel sorry for the poor, confused and now also angered lady. He also felt sorry for the next invading demon unlucky enough to cross her path. "You know, you could have avoided triggering her like that…" the secretary remarked as he approached his disturbingly confused master while two shots echoed in the corridor. "I am well aware of it, Gin. However, I chose to trigger the mine on purpose in hope to learn about her motives." Mephisto replied absent-mindedly. "I didn't mean the bomb, Samael. I said, 'triggering _her_ '. I was speaking about your dear - and I mean this as honestly as I am mind-blown - _definitely-not-a-spy lady_." he looked at the demon lord pointedly. "I never let go of the time freeze on her, Gin…" Mephisto kept staring towards the entrance door while Gin tripped on his way to the demon lord. "Don't tell me that… No, that is out of question… You must have slipped for a brief moment. All the excitement, not to mention the injuries…" the spy started rambling uncharacteristically. "I do not just 'slip' and I was extra careful as she had pulled something similar on me before…" Mephisto furrowed his eyebrows, well aware of his perfect command and unshakable concentration. "But Samael… to escape your time freeze… she must be immensely strong!" "Not just 'strong', Gin… Her power level seems to be on par with my own. And I hope I do not flatter myself there…" the Lord of Time gulped, his mind trying to race his heart in some insane competition. Then, no matter how difficult it was, he swiftly shook his head and brought himself to focus. As much as he wished to confront Thea right away, there was an Academy that needed saving. Time. All would be dealt with in due time.

OoO

"Sir, I bring important news." came Gin's voice as he rushed into the headmaster's office one hour later and one hour remaining until midnight. The whole Academy was in turmoil, but it was no more the fight which kept everyone on their feet. In fact, the whole attack had ceased the moment the enemy had learnt about Mephisto's presence. Ever since then, the Lord of Time had been coordinating the staff and every available Exorcist who was in state to lend a hand. He had also figured out why Thea's barrier worked against him. Apparently, two important cards from his deck had been torn apart - the one masking the barrier's presence and the one enabling an entrance to the Academy. Having both cards out of order meant that everyone could see there was a barrier to begin with, and that absolutely no one was allowed to enter the area without being burnt to a crisp. Mephisto lifted his head from the papers at his desk and, seeing the secretary's urgent expression, dismissed the teachers after a few additional instructions. "I'm all ears, Gin." the headmaster approached.

"My search regarding the stolen student files is finished." Gin said with an air of accomplishment. "That is surprisingly good news for a night such as this. Well? What is the connection linking the students?" his master questioned eagerly. "There is none, Sir." "And you find your search to be finished?" Mephisto arched an eyebrow at the spy and folded his hands. "I do. Sir, the evidence supports that there was never a connection to begin with. I think that the enemy is after only one single person. One individual of importance." lifting his finger importantly, the secretary continued. "And if I were after more information about the said individual, and without the option to avoid notice completely when collecting the data, then I too would try and hide that fact by splitting the focus. I would 'stir the waters'. So, is there anyone in particular among the students you think…" Before the secretary could even finish the sentence, he found himself standing alone in the principal's office, as his master had long vanished in a flash of white. "... might be targeted?" Gin sighed, running his finger through his hair. "Honestly, Samael… always so rash when it comes to your lady. As if I would let her wander around unprotected when I know she might be in danger." he shook his head and followed his master to the place he believed him to visit at first.

OoO

"Mephisto! Hi." Ayami smiled at the unexpected visitor as she opened the door for him. "Hello Ayami. My apologies for the late-night visit. May I speak with Thea? It is important." he cut a perfect, gentlemanly smile, only for Ayami to wipe it off his face with a single sentence. "Oh, but Thea's not here." she furrowed her brows at him, then tapped her lips with a finger. "I thought she was with you. Weren't you two supposed to see a theatre play tonight?" came a puzzled question. Mephisto was doing his very best to keep his temper well contained, his breathing calm and leveled, his heartbeat regular despite the skip it had just made… And Lord was he failing miserably! He felt his blood boiling and his demon energy leashing against the barrier around his person, dangerously close to ripping through. "Mephisto? Are you alright? You look… a little more pale than usual. And that's quite a feat, really." the raven-haired girl blinked curiously, then came out to take a better look. "I am fine." Mephisto said, already working on a plan of action, then he jumped up slightly as his phone rang. "A moment, I need to take this." he smiled apologetically. "My Lord, could you please stop scaring the lady and meet me outside of the dorms? Miss Heilbrunn is safe and sound. Well, I'll leave it at 'safe', as I wouldn't call a person who is willing to date you 'sound'." The Lord of Time clasped his cell phone swiftly, somehow managing to silence his internal turmoil.

"As I said, I am fine. It has just been a… difficult night." Mephisto shrugged and massaged his temples. "Oooooh, hold on a second. Did you two have a fight?" the girl arched an eyebrow at him. "You could say that…" the demon admitted reluctantly. "So, seeing you standing here with that regretful face means that _you_ are the one at fault?" she crossed her arms in front of her meaningfully. "You could say that, too…" he answered carefully. "Geez… Was it bad? Did she shout at you or was she silent?" she kept bombarding him with questions persistently. "Shouting first, silence second. There was some door-slamming, too…" "Ouuuuuuuuu. Damn, you must have really plucked a nerve on her there… But, no worries, I am sure it's not as bad as it looks!" Ayami patted him at his back enthusiastically. "When she's angry like that, she just needs some space. If she left, it was probably because she wanted to stop herself from saying something she would regret. She just needs some time alone so she can think about the whole thing with a clear head." she smiled at Mephisto cheerfully, then lifted a finger importantly. "Listen, I really like you. From all the three guys she has dated so far, you are the most… uhm… compatible with her. Yes, that's the word - _compatible._ So, if you really want to make things right…"

OoO

"I knew you were an open minded fellow, Sir, but you sure took it to a completely new level. I mean, taking a love-advice from a student? You truly display much dedication for the case, master." Gin grinned and stepped out to meet Mephisto who was just leaving the dorms. "Where is she?" the lord cut right to the point, pinning Gin with an intense look, showing a remarkable level of impatience. "Peace, Samael." the secretary put a hand on Mephisto's shoulder. "I will tell you everything, but I strongly advise you to wait with rushing to her side right now - she still hasn't returned that shotgun to the Armory. Preferably wait until midnight, when the curse wears off." he looked at him pointedly, reminding his master of the bad luck bestowed upon him. "Point taken." the Lord of Time sighed, unable to argue the completely rational advice. "Just tell me she is well guarded." "Everything has been taken care of." Gin nodded, then summarized swiftly. "The very moment this hypothesis occurred to me, I tracked her down and made sure she was being watched and surrounded by capable staff, and only _then_ did I come to report to you. It would appear your lady is not only full of surprises, but also full of compassion. She never went home - she stayed at your Academy to help out treat the wounded." the spy rubbed his chin, eying Mephisto sideways, noticing a fond smile appearing on his face. "Very well, Gin. Before we return to the Academy, how about a short walk where I give you the chance to actually finish your report?" Mephisto suggested and set off down the street.

"I suppose I could use a little fresh air after all that sneaking around…" the secretary stretched his arms a little, then fell into a stroll with his master. "First of all, my intel suggests that the attack was led by Leraje himself." "Now, that is an interesting development…" Mephisto rubbed his beard in thought, trying to puzzle out the strange turn of events. "You really think so?" Gin eyed his master skeptically. "Leraje's disapproval of your actions in Assiah is no secret… He often caused rebellions in your realm in Gehenna in the past." the secretary pointed out. "Oh, I am well aware of that. Still, the riots he tended to start were aimed on securing more power for himself. And even he had enough wits not to pull a _direct_ attack, let alone at my person." the demon lord shook his head at the improbable hypothesis. "True. However, opportunity makes a thief… With someone so unstable and obsessed with power, you never know. And there certainly was an opportunity - if it were not for your angry lady there, the Academy would have fallen by now." "True that. Alright, anything else?" Mephisto inquired further.

"Yes. I uncovered the enemy's means of spying." " _Means_ of spying? What about the actual spies?" Gin lifted a hand, bringing up a beautiful, sky-blue flower with dark-greenish leaves to his master. "I am deeply flattered, Gin, but you are not my type. Besides, I have a girlfriend, remember?" the headmaster grinned while his secretary returned an amused smile. "After that smooth, gallant display of your eternal gratitude for saving your Academy and life? I wouldn't be so sure, master." he waved the exotic flower tauntingly in front of Mephisto's face, only to receive a flat, annoyed stare in return. "Oh, I _will_ make sure of it - or so Ayami assured me." the demon lord proclaimed with an air of importance. "No need to tell me, my Lord. I have never doubted your _make-up_ techniques." the secretary remarked suggestively. "Gin, it would appear that the whole investigation is taking its toll on you. May I suggest you cool your head off? I know just the right place…" the Lord of Time grinned dangerously, but before he could produce the tickets to Alaska, the secretary waved his hands in front of him defensively.

"I know, I know, to the point. The flower was actually produced by a Greenman, Sir, and is essentially of Gehenna. Spies rarely use this method, as it requires much preparation, time and permanent place for the flowers to grow. Additionally, once the flower withers or gets picked, your connection is lost too. Not to mention that one flower sort can only convey one sensory information. It's a rather troublesome technique, but a skilled Tamer or a demon master can build quite an infrastructure if given enough time and room to operate. Considering your fondness of gardens and greenery in general… well, honestly, it was a brilliant move. The flowers are scattered all around the Academy, including the inner parts." the secretary explained. "I hope this… flowery spying network is still intact?" Mephisto arched an eyebrow and received a nod in confirmation. "Of course, Sir. I thought you might want to enjoy yourself a little and throw a few interesting rumors here and there until I uncover the actual spies." Gin winked mischievously, turning the flower in his hand left and right. "How do I recognize these special flower sorts?" the demon lord inquired further. "Keen observation, Sir. The flowers will, so to say, 'act' a little differently than the normal ones - you might notice that they sometimes don't face the sun as their primary objective is to turn towards a potential source of information. Kind of like picking up a signal. Oh, and even though they might not look like it, they are actually all carnivorous." "One more question." Mephisto started enthusiastically, only to be interrupted by Gin pointing the blue blossom at him. "No, I have never mastered this technique. And even if I had, I really don't think it wise to gift Miss Heilbrunn with one. I wouldn't be surprised if she could somehow figure out that the flower has another purpose apart from you trying to get into her good graces again." he pointed out and surprisingly, Mephisto didn't seem disappointed at all. In fact, the look in his eyes was quite mischievous, his lips curled up. "Yes, she probably would." the demon smirked.

OoO

Thea sighed, letting the shower wash away the last remains of blood and dirt. She felt as if it was washing away more than that - the tiredness, the frustration, the pain. Closing her eyes, she let the last droplets fall, exhaled deeply, then stepped out of the shower. It was just after midnight when she had finally made it home after hours filled with fighting and then extensive healing, she performed on the people who had got most wounded during the attack on the Academy. She had planned to storm off from that place as fast as she could and head right home, leaving the whole incident behind. However, the agonized voices of hurt people had stopped her in her traces. And she couldn't have possibly let them suffer just because she had been angered at the moment. In the end, she had spent the rest of the evening running around the Academy grounds, searching for and healing the wounded with the rest of the Doctor staff, surrounded by a surprisingly heavy guard placed there to protect the injured - good solidarity to their hurt teammates. Or, as she told Ayami, helping in a terrible car accident she had happened to witness on her way home. She didn't like lying to her friend, but she needed a cover-up story to explain her terrible appearance. Not to mention that she also ruined Ayami's high-heels and got her necklace torn apart by a demon. Fortunately, Yukio had fished out a uniform for her, so she would not have to explain to a police officer why she was walking the streets of Tokyo at night covered in gore and blood of three colors.

"What a day…" the blonde sighed, then wrapped herself in a thick, fluffy bathrobe and headed to the kitchen to make herself some cocoa. However, when she opened the fridge to fish out some milk, she found it was empty. "Ayami? Where's the milk? And… all the food?" Thea called at her friend, who peeked out from behind the door to her room. "Aaah, that. My friends from the swimming club came over in the afternoon, so I made a pudding. And some snacks too." Thea's eyes sparkled and Ayami clasped her hands in front of her apologetically. "Sorryyy, I only had enough for them. I didn't even get to eat one. Take it that we are even for destroying my dress!" she said and disappeared in her room again, rummaging through her huge wardrobe, while Thea felt her universe crumble. _"So… no cocoa and no pudding? Seriously?!"_ she whined inwardly. Soon, Thea could hear Ayami calling with Toshiro, sending loads of kisses and enough sugar to cause diabetes through her cell phone, as they agreed to meet. Thea sulked. _"I was supposed to have a date night, too, you know?"_ she puffed up her cheeks, then cast a mean stare at the fridge. _"Tsk, even the fridge is empty… Geeeeeez, this sucks! Worst. Day. Ever."_ she humped grumpily, as always when she was hungry and tired.

Suddenly, she could hear a soft knocking on the door. When she opened it… she really really really wanted to close it, but the amazing smell coming from the corridor made her mouth water, so she just gulped and fixed the late-night visitor with an annoyed look. "Hello Thea… I…" Mephisto started, but was immediately interrupted by Ayami, who rushed past Thea at a speed of a hurricane and exclaimed happily. "... brought pizza!" she finished the sentence for the demon, patting him at his shoulder encouragingly, shoving him into the room in the process. "And _I_ am leaving. Date night 3 See ya!" she waved at the stunned duo and rushed off, silently thanking Toshiro for his flexibility - poor guy had gone to bed early that night, but fortunately, he too wanted to help out and give Mephisto and Thea some space to talk things through. And she needed to get their food to his fridge before it could spoil.

"Ah, yes. I brought pizza." he held it expectantly off in front of him. "May I stay for a while?" Mephisto asked carefully, offering her a sincere smile. The blonde pursed her lips and gulped. "I'm not quite sure. On one hand, it's you. On the other hand, it's pizza, so… I have strongly mixed feelings about this." she frowned, a serious look on her face. "It is a whole package. No need to choose when you can have both." the demon offered playfully, but still quite carefully. "Maybe… Does it have mushrooms on it?" she questioned. "It does." he nodded. "Pomodoro or cream base?" she arched an eyebrow. "Pomodoro." "Extra cheese?" she tapped a finger on her lips and the demon grinned widely. "Two layers, in fact." "You're lucky I'm _starving_." the blonde shot him a pointed look, then sighed and led him to the living room slash kitchenette in their small student apartment.

For a few minutes, the only noise filling the silence was munching, as Thea was audibly melting at the delicious flavors combined into one of the best meals ever created by mankind. She made it a point to only eat a few pieces, as Ayami always scolded her for eating too much late in the night, threatening her with all the terrible diagnoses she might bring upon herself. And so, she put the pizza box aside and sighed. Mephisto was sitting to her right, waiting patiently and silently. "I'm sorry." a sudden apology tore through the tense silence. An apology voiced by both of them at once. They both turned to face each other, puzzled expressions on their faces. "Thea, dear… I know what I owe you an apology for. But why on Earth are you apologizing, too?" the demon asked perplexed, tilting his head to the side. Thea exhaled, then pulled her knees towards her, wrapped her arms around them and rested her chin on them. "Because I overreacted, OK? It was a difficult day. The demons were everywhere, we had to fight a lot, everything was in chaos and you were nowhere to be found. I was worried about you. The whole thing was too well-timed to be a random attack. But I couldn't even reach you via phone - I guess because I did not know the country code of whatever place you were at… The point is, I was on edge. Then you came and… my mine _hurt_ you! I was _terrified_! And then, you thought I was a _traitor_ …" the blonde met Mephisto's eyes. The demon lord gulped. "Thea…" "Wait." the blonde outstretched a hand towards him. "Listen. I thought about it. _A lot_. I remembered our dinner at the restaurant, when you told me about some of the women you dated before… How they treated you and everything…" she buried her fingers into her hair. "The point is… I understand. I understand why you would be so suspicious and careful… But it still _hurt_ , you know?! I mean… I thought you had more trust in me and that…" before she could finish the sentence, she found herself in a tight embrace.

"Thank you, Thea." Mephisto said while doing his best not to squeeze all the breath out of his lady. His dear, beloved, precious lady. He was still quite new to all that hugging experience, but at the moment, he wished to do just that because words didn't seem sufficient enough. He pulled her closer, burying his face into her golden locks, allowing the beautiful scent of honey and cinnamon to wash away the tension. "You deserved a better response from me, and for that I apologize. You _do_ deserve my trust. And you have it." he said, looking her in those beautiful chocolate eyes while gently stroking her cheeks. A small smile appeared on her lips and Mephisto couldn't remember the last time he felt so happy. "Ooooh, come here you head-idiot-master-demon." Thea threw her arms around his neck to hug him, almost toppling them both to the ground in all that excitement and relief. They soon burst into laughter, the tension and frustration which managed to build up during the long day finally leaving them, making a way for a more pleasant… discussion…

A good hour later, the demon lord found himself sitting on Thea's bed, his back leaning on the wall, his hand stroking the girl's hair gently as she slept peacefully, cuddled at his side. She looked so unbelievably cute that it was hard to believe that her and that fiery little vixen who had left scratches on his back just a while ago was the same person. Not to mention it is also that scary shotgun-wielding fighter. Mephisto's lips curled up - the girl had had enough energy to take over his Academy, fight demons and run around healing the injured, but she had fallen asleep almost instantly after he had properly made up with her. A strange sense of satisfaction and accomplishment washed over him. "So, Gin was not joking. Make-up sex really _is_ a thing. Who knew?" He smiled at her fondly, then his forest-green eyes met a pair of dark black ones. Mephisto frowned. "So, Mr. Wooly, was it?" he regarded Thea's plush companion with a sense of strange, completely irrational rivalry. Thea clutched the sheep a little stronger and exhaled peacefully in her slumber. He couldn't believe that Thea refused to sleep without that sheep, even though she had a _demon lord_ at her disposal to cuddle with. And being the proud demon lord he was, he simply despised to share… which brought him into that ridiculous situation. "Well, you have won this round, I'll give you that much. However, things are about to change around here, so enjoy it while you still can." he pinned the little companion with a warning look. And yet, Mr. Wooly kept looking at him with that happy look combined with an innocent, smiling face. The sheep was mocking him!

OoO

"I am deeply disappointed with the job you have done, Leraje." The Duke of the Abyss hissed at the general and two captains at his side, barely able to control his rage. Yet, the swarms of locusts buzzing all around him, flying in wild formations, provided a sufficient picture of the duke's current mood. "B-but… my lord, I did exactly what you asked me to." the kneeling general protested, though his body was already trembling with fear at the prospect of a punishment. "You dare to talk back to me?!" Abaddon finally lost it, as he roared loudly at his vasal. "You failed to get the second wave of your soldiers in!" he shouted angrily, the clouds of locusts descending upon the three kneeling demons, circling above their heads violently. The duke had been so close to obtaining the girl, and yet, the distraction Leraje had provided had proven insufficient. No one was supposed to know about the real objective - that the main assault was but a distraction - not even Leraje. The only one who knew was the poison-maker, Zahar. "My lord, forgive me… I… I couldn't possibly have known that the Academy had another barrier in reserve. I lost many good men who tried to enter the place but were burnt down on the spot. The spies never mentioned that…" Leraje bowed again, hoping to save his life. Abaddon frowned. He hadn't been aware of another barrier, either. That had, indeed, been his spies' job - and they would be dealt with accordingly soon enough. "You failed me, Leraje." Abaddon said, returning to his usual, less tempered, but still grating voice. "However, I am a generous ruler, so I am giving you another chance to prove yourself to me." the duke said and Leraje bowed again, so his head was touching the ground. "You will not be disappointed again, my Lord! I shall fulfill my duty."

"Swear it." Abaddon fixed Leraje with a firm look. "Pardon?" the general blinked in confusion. "I said - swear it. I want a blood-oath, Leraje." the Duke of the Abyss prompted and could hear an audible gulp, could see his face turning ashen-white, could notice the drop of sweat running down his spine. A terrible silence filled the room as the swarms settled on the ground and ceased their buzzing as if in expectation. "As you wish." the general stood up, took out an ornate dagger and cut his hand, letting the scarlet blood fall to the ground. He then knelt and smeared the red liquid on the floor in such a way that it produced the symbol of the Duke of the Abyss, then wrote his name into it. "I, Leraje, the Marquise of Riots, swear my fealty to Abaddon, the Duke of the Abyss. Satan's mercy be upon me, shall I ever break it." he finished the incantation and the blood on the floor started glowing brightly, until it disappeared. Then, the general clutched his chest as the very same symbol appeared carved into it. The duke smiled triumphantly - there was no greater oath a demon could swear, no stronger word a demon could give, than a blood-oath. And now, he had Leraje chained, just as a puppet to use freely for his any and every whim. "Good, good." Abaddon nodded, then waved the general off. "Now leave. I have more pressing matters to take care of." The soldiers scurried off right away. "Zahar." the duke called out for the demoness, eager to learn her part of the story. He had to rethink their strategy… And he _would_ succeed!

OoO

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**Disclaimer:** Blue Exorcists belongs to Kazue Katō. Please, do not re-post or publish my story without my consent.

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**Author's note:** Hello everyone! :) Another chapter of my FF is out! Sure, it took me a while, but it is also the longest chapter I have posted so far. There was so much I wanted to cover and no place seemed good enough to split this chapter into two or even more parts - leaving you with a cliffhanger is just not my style :D

As always, your feedback is much appreciated, be it a comment or a message. I am eager to improve, so feel free to share your thoughts and impressions with me. Story-wise, we just entered the second half!


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